The City of Mandurah’s mosquito management team have been working hard this season to combat an increase in the pesky insect across the region.
At a Mandurah Council meeting on Tuesday evening representatives from the Peel Mosquito Management Group gave an insight into their operations this season compared to the last.
The group consists of the City of Mandurah, Shire of Murray, City of Rockingham and the Shire of Waroona, and conducts mosquito management across the Peel Region, in partnership with the Department of Health.
In the presentation prepared by Scott Seven and Peter Foulkes, the increase was attributed to changing weather patterns and high tides.
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To give an example of the sharp increase the presentation mentioned the jump in size of aerial treatments from 723.5 hectares in 2015/16 to 2627 hectares in 2017/18.
That’s a whopping 263 per cent increase, which according to the group’s annual report was on par with seasons 2013 to 2015.
The group undertook 21 aerial larviciding treatments this season, with the largest individual treatments completed in October (267 hectares) and March (255.2 hectares).
Next season isn’t looking much better that the last with a shift in the Southern Oscillation Index from El Niño values to Neutral. The change could lead to more challenging seasons to contain mosquito in the next three to five years.
The environment also influences the prevalence of mosquito borne diseases, such as Ross River and Barmah Forest Viruses each and every year, and it is not always linked to mosquito numbers.
According to the report winter species of mosquitoes are more likely to carry diseases.
For more information visit the City of Mandurah’s website or view councillors latest meeting here.
Are you still feeling the sting? If you have a story you’d like to share about mosquitoes in Mandurah and the surrounding area contact the Mandurah Mail via caitlyn.rintoul@fairfaxmedia.com.au.
