Mosquito season in SA: how to stop mozzies breeding at home

The best way to cut mosquitoes around your home is to stop them breeding. Mosquitoes breed in still water, so SA Health’s advice is to empty or cover anything that holds water: bird baths and pet bowls at least once a week, clear gutters, mesh over tank overflows, and sand in the base of pot plants. Add a repellent with DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus when you’re outside, and screens to keep them out of the house.

A Barossa summer is made for eating outside, and unfortunately so are mozzies. Here’s why they matter in South Australia and a checklist to work through before the warm evenings arrive.

Why mosquitoes matter in SA

Mosquitoes aren’t just itchy. According to SA Health, the most common diseases spread by mosquitoes in South Australia are Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus. Rarer but more serious diseases, including Murray Valley encephalitis, Japanese encephalitis and Kunjin virus, can also be spread by mosquitoes in SA.

Most mosquito-borne diseases have no vaccine, so SA Health’s message is to avoid being bitten. Japanese encephalitis is the exception: a free vaccine is available for eligible people at the highest risk. Check SA Health’s Mozzies Suck page for current eligibility and alerts.

Stop them breeding: a yard checklist

Mosquitoes breed in still fresh or salty water, often in puddles and containers. From SA Health’s advice for home:

• Empty and refill bird baths, stock troughs and pet water bowls at least once a week.
• Clean leaves and debris out of roof gutters so water can't pool.
• Cover rainwater tank overflows, septic openings, wells and large water containers with mosquito-proof mesh.
• Don't let water pool in containers under tank outlets or taps.
• Put sand in the base of outdoor plant pots so saucers don't hold water.
• Keep swimming pools maintained, or empty or securely covered if not in use. Empty wading pools at the end of each day.
• Empty ornamental ponds regularly, or stock them with small Australian native fish to eat the larvae ('wrigglers').
• On farms and lifestyle blocks, keep the edges of dams clear of vegetation.

Walk around the yard after rain and tip out anything holding water. Old tyres, toys, buckets and tarps are the usual suspects.

Protect yourself and keep them out of the house

• Wear long, loose-fitting, light-coloured clothing. SA Health notes mosquitoes can bite through tight clothing like jeans.
• Use a repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus (PMD) approved by the APVMA. Apply it evenly to all exposed skin, like sunscreen, and after sunscreen. Plant-based repellents need reapplying more often.
• Never let children apply their own repellent. Put it on your hands first, then on their skin, and check the label for age limits.
• Fit mosquito-proof mesh on doors, windows, vents and chimneys, and use nets or screens over sleeping areas.
• If you use mosquito coils outside, never leave them burning unattended.

Where a professional treatment fits

Getting rid of breeding sites is the foundation, and no treatment replaces it. What a treatment adds is fewer adult mosquitoes and flies resting around the places you use. Our fly and mosquito control treats pergolas, verandahs, patios, eaves and the shaded, sheltered spots where mosquitoes rest, and we’ll point out any breeding spots we notice while we’re there.

It won’t stop every mosquito outdoors, and we won’t pretend it does, but it substantially reduces activity around treated areas. Spring is the time to book, ahead of the entertaining season, and it can be combined with your annual general pest treatment.

Call Garry on 0403 018 325 for a free quote. We cover the Barossa, Gawler, Munno Para and Adelaide suburbs.