For the past 16 years, the City of Ryde has been running special Mosquito Control Programs weekly from December to April, in conjunction with Parramatta City Council and NSW Health (through Westmead Hospital Department of Entomology) to support the Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA) larval spraying program which is aimed at cutting peak numbers of hatched saltmarsh mosquitos.
During these months, numbers of the most common species - the Saltmarsh Mosquito - can rapidly increase and disperse throughout the City of Ryde, (5-10km wind assisted) even as far as Eastwood. These mosquitos are very aggressive and breed in the saltmarshes on the southern side of the Parramatta River outside the Ryde Local Government Area.
Council works closely with Sydney Olympic Park Authority (SOPA) who undertake aerial and ground based larvicide treatment on a majority of protected tidal marshes, mainly during kingtides to control numbers of saltmarsh mosquitoes. This treatment is aimed at control, not eradication and no ‘mass fogging’ of adult mosquitoes is permitted in NSW.
Despite high numbers of saltmarsh mosquitoes last season, this year’s numbers are significantly fewer and this does indicate that SOPA’s spraying regime is proving successful so far.
However, the numbers of domestic mosquitoes this year appear to have increased in some areas and the Council’s trapping indicates the origin of breeding sites may be from private property or watercourses.
In the City Of Ryde, there are six regular trapping sites. These are Koonadan Reserve mangroves (Wharf Road), Ryde-Parramatta Golf Course, Maze Park, Lambert Park, Darvall Park and Miriam Park.
The City Of Ryde program includes community information (web site, handouts, stalls, displays and brochures in local libraries, media), mosquito larval surveillance on private and community property, treatments with Biological larvicide (B.t.i) on merit, inspections after complaints, weekly trapping of adult mosquitoes to monitor numbers and types of mosquitoes, virus testing of pulped mosquitoes at Westmead Hospital, and providing trapping and disease data to NSW data bases.
Given the apparent increase in domestic mosquito activity this year, it is important that residents who are experiencing increased nuisance should contact Council directly with specific information and times so that the complaints can be promptly investigated and appropriate action taken.
Call Customer Service Phone 99528222
For more details of the City of Ryde Mosquito Control Program go to www.ryde.nsw.gov.au .
