Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are part of our natural environment and are active all year round.
Protecting yourself and your family members from mosquito bites and mosquito-borne disease is a lifestyle necessity in the Peel Region.
Whilst the peak in mosquito activity will be around dawn, late afternoon and dusk, mosquitoes can be active all day and night.
The best way to protect yourself is to:
- Stay indoors during peaks in mosquito activity and biting periods
- Cover up with light coloured, loose fitting clothing to limit skin exposure
- Apply mosquito repellents that contain DEET (diethyl toluamide) or picaridin before heading outdoors. These have shown to be the most effective against mosquitoes in the form of reducing mosquito bites for the longest time from a single application. Repellents containing natural ingredient have been shown to provide substantially less protection against biting mosquitoes. Find out more about mosquito repellents myths
- Avoid areas such as wetlands and adjacent reserves and parks that have dense vegetation
- Stay informed with City of Mandurah community alerts on social media, email subscription, website updates, local newspaper and community radio, or by contacting the City.
Find out more about protecting you and your family.
Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus are the two most common mosquito-borne diseases in the Peel Region.
Virus surveillance is undertaken by the WA Department of Health across the south-west of WA. The aim of this important surveillance is to monitor mosquito and virus activity.
The peak time for this disease transmission is generally between September and January, however protection from mosquito bites is an important measure year round.
Common symptoms include painful or swollen joints, sore muscles, skin rashes, fever and tiredness. Other symptoms may also occur.
The only way to confirm if you have a mosquito-borne disease is to visit a medical professional for a specific blood test.
You should take every precaution to avoid mosquito bites. The only way to prevent infection is to avoid being bitten.
Refined over many years, the PMMG program targets mosquito larvae to reduce adult populations. This follows recognised best-practice methods.
The PMMG primarily uses aerial larviciding techniques to apply granule and liquid larvicides. This is undertaken with a specially-equipped helicopter, highly experienced pilots and leading edge application technology thanks to significant funding from the WA Department of Health.
Aerial larviciding targets the mosquito larvae in the water before they emerge as adults. This method allows rapid, accurate, reliable and safe application across large areas (up to 600 hectares) within a short timeframe which is critical to the program’s success.
The planning and frequency of aerial treatments is based on the frequency of tidal activity, larval surveillance results, and weather conditions.
In some situations there may only be a small window for effective application. The product and timing is carefully considered during treatment preparation.
The two types of larvicides used are S - methoprene and Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis). These are approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, and supported by the WA Department of Health, for broadscale mosquito management. These larvicides pose no adverse effects to other non-target organisms or the public.
Even with our highly effective aerial larviciding program, mosquitoes cannot be eliminated all together so it is important to protect yourself and your family at all times.
Recent treatments
Here are the recent treatments for the season - we will update following each treatment.
- 22 March 2024 - 155.4 hectares
- 8 March 2024 - 71.6 hectares
- 23 & 24 February 2024 - 319.2 hectares
- 17 & 18 January 2024 - 206 hectares
- 27 December 2023 - 210.4 hectares
- 19 December 2023 - 217.0 hectares
- 1 December 2023 - 210.3 hectares
- 28 November 2023 - 100.3 hectares
- 6 October 2023 - 278.4 hectares
- 21- 23 September - 422.8 hectares
- 7 & 8 September - 259.4 hectares
- 31 August 2023 - 157.3 hectares
- 11 August 2023 - 96 hectares
- 22 July 2023 - 145.2 hectares
Aerial larvicide treatments are planned, timed and undertaken following weather and tide activity that triggers the hatching of a new generation of mosquitoes.
Daily monitoring and larval surveillance informs when treatments will take place.
Many residential areas are located close to mosquito breeding sites throughout Mandurah and the Peel Region. This, and a number of other factors will result in certain residential areas experiencing higher and more persistent mosquito activity.
In years when environmental conditions make mosquito reduction efforts difficult, mosquito numbers and activity will be higher and mosquitoes will disperse throughout most suburbs due to their ability to fly many kilometres from the breeding sites.
Even with our proactive program total eradication is not possible or environmentally desirable.
This means mosquitoes are always around, however their numbers and activity levels will constantly change.
It is difficult to say how long or intense mosquito activity will be as it is impacted by many factors.
Mosquitoes are short-lived insects with a general lifespan of two to three weeks.
Typically, spring and early summer are when mosquitoes numbers are at their highest.
Sudden spikes in mosquito activity can happen quickly and may occur a week or two after a hatching event.
Other species of mosquito will breed in fresh and brackish water bodies and pose disease and nuisance problems in and around residential back yards.
The Aedes notoscriptus mosquito commonly known as the ‘backyard mosquito’ is regularly captured in our routine trapping and importantly has also been identified as a transmitter of Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus.
Pooling water from rainfall, irrigation, leaking taps and even poorly maintained swimming pools can provide perfect conditions for mosquito breeding.
Items such as listed below need to be emptied and cleaned every few days to restrict mosquito breeding
- Bird baths
- Buckets
- Unused fish ponds
- Any type of container that holds water
- Blocked gutters
- Water features
- Pet water bowls
- Pot plants bases that hold water
The City does not carry out treatments on private property, however if you have a potential breeding source (a stagnant / body of water) on your or a neighbouring property, you can contact the City and request a site inspection. Property owners are responsible for complying with local laws to deter mosquito breeding.
These are the most environmentally appropriate larvacides currently available and are approved by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, and supported by the WA Department of Health, for broadscale mosquito management.
These larvicides pose no adverse effects to other non-target organisms or members of the public.
The City’s mosquito management program is very successful in reducing mosquito populations in a consistent, reliable and environmentally sustainable way.
Eliminating mosquitoes is unrealistic due to the large breeding areas (up to 600 hectares) and the mosquitoes ability to reproduce in vast numbers.
This means even with our treatment program in place, there will be a percentage of mosquitoes that evade treatment and continue to reproduce. If the program was not in place, saltmarsh mosquitoes would be in extreme and persistent numbers throughout the year.
Yes, however saltmarsh mosquito larvae hatch in such vast numbers that virtually no real beneficial reduction happens from natural predators. One small breeding site can support millions of larvae and produce consecutive generations over a short time frame.
In suburban environments and some natural environments, introducing native fish can be effective in keeping freshwater mosquitoes under control in some situations but is limited in sensitive environments.
Feeding on adult mosquitoes also occurs by animals such as micro bats but again this has little effect on the overall mosquito populations.
Relying on plants that are promoted as having a mosquito repelling effect around the home is not recommended.
There are a number of steps you can take to help deter mosquito breeding and also stop mosquitoes and other flying insects like midge from entering your home and property.
- Install and maintain insect screening to doors and windows - the finer the mesh size the better
- Consider installing automatic door closers to external doors
- Consider the design of your outdoor entertaining area and the instalment of permanent or semi-permanent screening to entertaining areas
- Reduce the amount of dense vegetation around your entry doors and house
- Apply long lasting residual barrier insecticides such as Bifenthrin around the house and property, this can be done by either yourself or a licenced pesticide contractor
Pests at your property
If you are experiencing pests on your property, there are many reputable pest control products on the market. It also helps to check structural items and seal any gaps. Should pests persist, contact a licensed pest control operator.
If you are experiencing pests coming from another property affecting yours such as flies, rodents, cockroaches, etc please complete and submit a service request form to the City.
Please contact the Department of Agriculture & Food for information and advice on:
- Argentine ants
- European wasps
- Portuguese millipedes
- Any queries or concerns regarding species of pests
