Mosquito Control Fact Sheet

Mosquito control for households in Logan City

Mosquitoes are not only a nuisance, they can also the City of Logan, there are 160 hectares of such spread diseases to humans and . In South salt marsh habitat. East Queensland, specific species of mosquitoes Fresh water mosquitoes breed in an area flooded can transmit a number of diseases such as Ross Virus (RRV) and Barmah Forest Virus (BFV) by water after rain, in roof gutters, rainwater tanks, as well as heartworm in dogs. pot plant bases, buckets, pet bowls, tarpaulins and home sewage treatments plants (HSTP). Residents can do a lot to help control mosquitoes and reduce the risk of contracting a mosquito borne What can residents do? disease. You can take steps towards reducing mosquito problems by using some basic control measures. Mosquito lifecycle Mosquitoes may be breeding in your own backyard Various mosquitoes lay their eggs on the water or neighbourhood. Residents can eliminate surface, on the sides of receptacles on soil or breeding sources around their property by: vegetation, just above the water line. When inundated with water, the eggs hatch into larvae • Removing (if possible) anything that can hold which are commonly known as wrigglers. From the water (containers, tyres, fallen palm fronds) time an egg hatches, it can take 1-2 weeks for the from the yard. Alternatively, ensure they do not wrigglers to develop into an adult mosquito. hold water for more than one week. • Removing Bromeliads (tropical plants which hold water in their crowns) or use water absorbing crystals in their leaf axils and crowns. • Keeping drains and channels clear and free flowing. • Keeping roof gutters clean and clear. • Cleaning pet bowls and bird baths thoroughly at least once per week. • Emptying pot plant bases weekly, fill with sand or remove altogether. • Filling ponding/stagnant water with soil to the level off the surrounding area. • Introducing small native that eat mosquito larvae to and dams. Council can supply these to Logan residents upon request. • Keeping swimming pools appropriately treated with chlorine/salt.

• Introducing fish to water features or keep them Where do mosquitoes breed? chlorinated. • Ensuring all entry points to water, septic tanks Specific mosquitoes can breed in either fresh or or HSTP tanks are screened or sealed. Cover salt-water. joints or concrete lids with sand. Salt-water breed in salt-water marshes and mangrove swamps. In the eastern suburbs of

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Ways you can protect yourself and your Salt marsh mosquitoes can easily travel 15 household kilometres or more from their initial breeding site. This means that the City of Logan’s eastern Residents can protect themselves and reduce the suburbs are affected by salt marsh mosquitoes risk of contracting a mosquito borne disease by from time to time. avoiding spending time outdoors when mosquitoes are most active. Did you know? Mosquitoes are most abundant in summer months when the weather is warm, wet or humid. Enforcement of Public Health Regulation Mosquitoes are most active during dawn and dusk. Residents of Queensland are legally required If you need to go outside during these times: under the Public Health Regulation to prevent mosquitoes breeding within their properties. Personal mosquito protection Free native fish

Free native fish are provided to residents for Wear mosquito repellent. controlling mosquito larvae in ponds and dams on private property.

Free property inspections Use mosquito coils or citronella candles. Upon request, specialised mosquito control staff can inspect residents’ properties for potential mosquito breeding sites. Staff can also suggest the best method of controlling mosquito Wear protective clothing. breeding in the identified sites.

Fresh water mosquitoes In home mosquito protection Treatments are conducted on all known fresh- water breeding sites in parks and roadside Install mosquito/fly screens on all drains, throughout the City. windows and doors.

Salt marsh mosquitoes

Use sprays or plug-in Treatments are conducted on ponding water mosquito repellents. caused by high tides and rain. The treatments are carried out by mosquito control staff. The construction and maintenance of ditches and What does the City of Logan do to runnels (shallow channels) prevents water stagnating and therefore mosquitoes breeding in control mosquitoes? the salt marsh. The City of Logan control mosquito numbers by eradicating mosquito larvae while they are still concentrated in pools of stagnant water. When adult mosquitoes emerge from a pool of water, they can quickly disperse over a very wide area.

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How can design prevent • Empire gudgeon (Hypseleotris compressa) mosquitoes • Firetail gudgeon (Hypseleotris galii) • Fly-specked hardyhead (Craterocephalus • Design your pond or dam with a simple shape, stercusmuscarum fulvus) ie. square, circle or triangle. Complex pond • Ornate rainbowfish (Rhadinocentrus ornatus) shapes increase the edge area where • Pacific blue-eye (Pseudomugil signifier) mosquitoes prefer to breed. • Purple-spotted gudgeon (Mogurnda adspersa) • The edges and bays should be steep and the pond and dam should be deep. This will make What should you do with the new fish? conditions more favourable for fish and • Before adding plants and fish, make sure predators that can feed on mosquito larvae. equipment such as filters, fountains and • Good water quality will ensure biological waterfalls are in working order. controls are healthy and sustained. • Have vegetation such as lilies, in the pond prior • Avoid emergent vegetation around the pond or to releasing fish. Alternatively, grow your in- dam such as grass or reeds. Emergent pond plants in containers, as this will make vegetation provides a safe-haven for mosquito removal easier during routine maintenance. larvae. Plants can be purchased from a reputable nursery to ensure no prohibited pest plants are Why do we use native fish? introduced. Allow at least a week for plants to settle before adding fish. Native fish are already acclimatised to the local • Take fish home immediately and keep them out environment and conditions. Exotic fish can cause of the sun, in a cool place until they are dramatic effects to an ecosystem and should not released. be used in ponds, pools and dams. Mosquitoes require water for egg laying and larval • When introducing fish, float the bag or container development, therefore backyard ponds and dams of fish in the pond to equalise the water can be ideal. Native fish act as a biological control, temperature for about 10 minutes. feeding on the mosquito larvae and effectively • Add frequent small amounts of pond water to controlling mosquito numbers. the bag or container to adjust the fish to the new pond water conditions.

• Do not feed your fish initially for 2 days. If there’s not enough mosquito larvae present in the water, then only feed them once a day with enough food as they can consume in 5-10 minutes. • Once released into the new environment, the fish should breed and increase in numbers The City of Logan provides 6 free native fish to providing no predation or competitive fish Logan residents each year. Other locally native fish species are present in the water bodies. which can be released into ponds and dams without a Fisheries permit are:

• Agassiz’s glassfish or olive perchlet (Ambassis More Information: agassizii) 3412 3412 [email protected] • Australian smelt (Retropinna semoni) logan.qld.gov.au • Bug-eyed goby (Redigobius bikolanus) • Duboulay’s rainbowfish (Melanotaenia duboulayi)

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