We know they’re a nuisance, but Mozzies aren’t going anywhere so we have to learn to live with them and take appropriate measures to ensure we don’t get bitten.

While we have experienced higher than average rainfall this summer due to La Niña, these are the perfect conditions for mosquitos to multiply and have meant numbers are up on previous years.

For the third year, Council has partnered with NSW Health trapping mosquitoes at key locations on the Beaches (Warriewood Wetlands and Deep Creek near the Narrabeen Lagoon trail) to monitor the numbers and types present and most importantly ensure they are not the ones transmitting viral infections.

Thankfully, the two key species (Culex annulirostris, Aedes vigilax) that are associated with transmitting Ross River Virus or Barmah Forest virus have only been present on the Northern Beaches in low numbers when compared to the total number of mosquito’s caught.

Read on to see how you can protect yourself and your family from getting bitten and how to reduce optimal breeding conditions for mosquitoes in your backyard.

Always wear long, loose-fitting clothing to minimise skin exposureChoose and apply a repellent that contains either Diethyl Toluamide (DEET), Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)Be aware of peak mosquito times at dawn and duskKeep your yard free of standing water like containers, birdbaths, kids toys, and pot plant trays where the mosquitos can breed.

Check out this NSW Health page for more tips on how to control mosquitoes around the home.

If you like to know more about what Council is doing to reduce the risk of mosquitoes to the community, read the Northern Beaches Council Mosquito Management Plan.

The program kicked off in November 2021 and will run through until 30 April 2022.