By Juliano Oliveira
Items that may be holding water are the first ones to be disposed of as the mosquito season approaches Queensland.
Self-watering pot plants, children’s toys, buckets, water tanks and even vases are likely places for breeding grounds. That’s why Queenslanders must prepare their homes once mosquitos can carry and transmit diseases.
Queensland Health Department recommends removing any remnant water inside plastic containers, tarpaulins or buckets.
It is essential to store anything that can hold water undercover or in a dry place, including work equipment, surplus materials or trailers, and keep bins covered.
Equally important to throw out any rubbish lying around like unused or empty containers or tyres.
Another key point, according to the Queensland Health Department, is protecting areas around and inside the house. Some tips are:
- Install or repair insect screens on all doors and windows
- Keep swimming pools chlorinated or salted and well maintained
- Ensure ponds are stocked with fish
- Repair clogged drains and remove debris from gutters
- Use a plug-in insecticide vaporiser (indoors) or mosquito coils (outdoors, in well-ventilated areas).
“Avoid being outside unprotected, particularly where and when mosquitoes are most active. If you are outside at this time, your best defence against mozzies includes wearing long, loose clothing and using a good repellent,” says the department.