Mosquito management program starts on the Bellarine

WITH the potential for mosquito breeding increasing, the City of Greater Geelong is commencing treatments of larvae in areas of the Bellarine Peninsula.
This is done to minimise the health risks associated with diseases like Ross River Virus and Mycobacterium ulcerans and to reduce the impact of biting mosquitoes on locals’ health, wellbeing and ability to enjoy the environment.
Geelong’s coastal areas are surrounded by protected wetlands, which are ideal locations for mosquito breeding.
Treating over 1,000 hectares of land, the City has the largest mosquito management program in Victoria.
Treatments are applied manually at ground level and by helicopter to access hard to reach areas distributing biologically approved pallets.
The products used are approved by the Australia Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority for mosquito management and are used widely in Australia and internationally to manage mosquito larvae because of their limited impact on non-target species and the environment.
Director of Planning, Design and Development Gareth Smith said the approved biological products used only impacted mosquito larvae.
“They are not harmful to humans, pets or the general environment,” Mr Smith said.
“Residents can also protect themselves and reduce the risk of mosquito bites by covering up, wearing light coloured clothes and applying repellents.
“Residents can reduce mosquito levels around their homes by regularly removing water in bird baths, old tyres, pot plant bases, buckets and toys, ensuring openings to rainwater tanks are covered with mesh no coarser than 1mm mesh, and making sure swimming pools, spas and ponds are regularly checked and well maintained.”
The program targets ‘high activity spots’ of known breeding areas that stretch across large parts of the Bellarine, with treatment targeting larvae at various stages of growth.
A large percentage of breeding sites on the Bellarine are on state government-owned land, but these are included in the program to protect the health and wellbeing of residents.
The City’s mosquito management program will continue throughout the warmer summer months until March.