Your safety

Mosquito 
As Council does not treat individual homes, it is important that residents reduce the number of mosquitoes and potential mosquito breeding sites. Residents can play a vital role in reducing mosquitoes around the home. Inspect your house and yard and remove any accumulation of water by:

  • Removing water and wiping containers, such as pot plant saucers and animals’ water containers, with a clean cloth every four days. Put the used cloth into the rubbish.
  • Filling pot plant bases with sand or pebbles.
  • Ensuring swimming pools are maintained, cleaned and chlorinated.
  • Washing out birdbaths, fishponds and ornamental pools weekly and where possible stock with suitable native fish.
  • Washing out bromeliads and other water-holding plants weekly.
  • Removing containers that could hold water
  • Keeping gutters clean and in good repair to prevent the pooling of water and trimming back trees which can block gutters.
  • Ensuring rainwater tanks are screened.
  • Drilling holes in tyres used for swings and garden surrounds to allow water to drain from them
  • Capping brick walls made of Besser and other cavity bricks to prevent water pooling.
  • Overturning boats, canoes and dinghies or have drain plugs removed to avoid holding water. 

Residents can reduce the risk of disease from mosquitoes further by:

  • Screening windows and doors to prevent mosquitoes coming inside. 
  • Limiting the time spent outdoors around dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
  • While outside wearing light-coloured loose-fitting clothing – e.g. loose-fitting long sleeve shirts and pants.
  • Using mosquito nets, mosquito coils, personal repellents and ceiling fans.
  • Sleeping under a mosquito net if you live in an unscreened house or are camping.
  • Using air conditioning, fans and mosquito coils.