Protect yourself from mosquito bites this summer!

Protect yourself from mosquito bites this summer!

23 December, 2022

There are more mosquitoes in New South Wales this year because of the wet weather. Some mosquitoes carry viruses that can make you very sick, like the Japanese Encephalitis virus and Ross River virus.

The best way to avoid getting sick, is to prevent bites. Protect yourself:

When outside put on mosquito repellent regularly to parts of your skin that are not covered by clothes When outside wear long, loose fitted clothing and covered shoes with socks Put fly screens or netting over your windows, doors, and other entrances to your home Clean up stagnant water around your home, like pet bowls, kids’ toys and other water-holding containers.

Mozzies like to lay their eggs around stagnant water. You can reduce mozzies around your home by:

cleaning up your backyard to remove all water-holding containers, including buckets, tyres and toys flushing and wiping out bird baths, pet water bowls and water features once a week filling pot plant bases with sand to avoid standing water storing anything that can hold water undercover or in a dry place, and keeping bins covered flushing out the leaves of water-holding plants (e.g., bromeliads) once a week keeping drains and roof guttering clear of leaves keeping your lawns mowed covering or securely screening the openings of septic tanks and rainwater tanks.

For more information on how you can protect yourself against mozzie bites and mosquito-borne diseases this summer, visit: www.health.nsw.gov.au/mosquitoes