Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes

"The majority of mosquito problems on the Gold Coast are caused by saltmarsh mosquitoes. Further mosquito breeding occurs in freshwater after periods of high rainfall. When high tides exceed about 1.6 metres at the Gold Coast Seaway, tidal marshes are flooded, triggering mosquito breeding. This occurs almost on a monthly basis. High rainfall events can also cause flooding of saltmarshes. Mosquito control is important as some species carry debilitating diseases such as Ross River Virus." refer Gold Coast City Council Mosquitoes

Information about mosquitoes

• Depending on species, female mosquitoes may lay a hew hundred eggs at a time with most mosquitoes laying eggs directly into water.
• Eggs laid can hatch as quickly as a week.
• The life cycle of all mosquitoes begins with the egg, then larval, pupal and adult stages.
• Adult female mosquitoes will then seek an animal on which to feed (extract the blood of hosts in order to develop and nourish eggs)
• Several species of mosquito are known carriers of significant disease of both man and domestic animals.
• Mosquito-borne diseases kill more people than any other single factor.
• The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Dengue fever cases have hit a 20 year high.

At Tony's Termite and Pest Control we treat for all pests using the safest methods.

We can help with the elimination of these pests through proven eradication methods.

Why mosquitoes bite some people more than others

La Niña is bringing floods to Australia's east coast, and with it, swarms of mosquitoes.
On the Gold Coast a wet Spring is synonymous with good surf.
A wet Spring however is great for mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are a real health risk. There is also more diversity in the mosquitoes in Spring.
Some people are more attractive to mosquitoes than others. It is not your imagination.
Associate Professor Cameron Webb, medical entomologist and mosquito expert at NSW Health Pathology and the University of Sydney discusses (ABC RN 24 Nov-24) why some people are more attractive to mosquitoes-:

"No, there's nothing wrong with you if mosquitoes bite you more than your friends and family. This is a phenomenon that we do know is true. And scientists for many decades have been trying to sort of unpick the reasons why a mosquito is more likely to bite one person more than others. And there's a couple of reasons we do that. Firstly, we might try to want to know who in the community is most susceptible to mosquito bites and consequently, mosquito borne disease. Perhaps we might be thinking about new types of mosquito repellents that we could develop But importantly, we might be wanting to know what's that sort of secret ingredient that might lower mosquitoes and that we can then incorporate into traps so that we can do mosquito control. But the problem is, is that it's a really complex puzzle to solve. And so it's only the female mosquito that bites and when she's looking for an animal or particularly a person to bite if she can sense the carbon dioxide we breathe out that then it's probably the smell of our skin that really turns them on and there are hundreds of different chemical compounds on our skin and the cocktail smells that you have. If it's a bit more attractive to mosquitoes than your friends and family. You're the one who's likely to get bitten."

Professor Cameron Webb

What can you do to reduce mosquitoes

• Use mosquito repellants (Australian pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority tests these)
• Bands and patches do not provide adequate protection
• Avoid electronic zappers
• There is no evidence that sound repells mosquitoes
• Blue light devices kill a whole range of insects but are not very effective with mosquitoes.
• Use screens to prevent them entering your home
• Some products mask your smell
• Do not rely soley on insect repellent
• Wear protective clothing like long sleave shirts when exposed outdoors
• Clear stagnant water

Ecological role of mosquitoes

We haven't been very good at working out what the ecological role of mosquitoes are. We know they're food for birds and bats, fish and frogs. They pollinate plants, but we're yet to find a plant or animal on the planet that is completely reliant on mosquitoes. A lot of new technologies which are showing great promise in terms of either modifying or reducing mosquito populations are really encouraging and a lot of them are directed towards mosquitoes that are living in rubbish in our cities or suburbs. Eradication of those mosquitoes should not be considered until we understand what their ecological role is.

If you've got pests... we've got solutions".

Tony Casey

Pest Control Gold Coast