City of Kwinana to trial aerial mosquito treatment

The Spectacles. PIC: City of Kwinana

Aerial mosquito treatment will be trialed at The Spectacles in the City of Kwinana in a bid to reduce mosquito numbers in the area.

In 2021, the Department of Health confirmed the presence of Ross River Virus (RRV) in mosquitoes collected at The Spectacles over three occasions from January to March.

High concentration numbers of mosquito larvae was also detected in shallow pools under paper bark trees in The Spectacles wetland.

The Department of Health has recommended the use of aerial larvicides.

 

"These larvicides are target-specific to mosquitoes and have negligible impact on other aquatic and terrestrial species when used at label rates. The products being applied are also non-toxic to humans," a City of Kwinana spokesperson said.

"The Department of Health will fully cover the costs of this trial including the helicopter costs and larvicides.

"Aerial larviciding is often carried out across the Peel, Leschenault and Geographe regions by Heliwest which is the current contractor for the Department of Health mosquito programs.

"If the initial trial proves to be successful, treatment may be carried out in future if ongoing monitoring results indicate a rise in significant mosquito breeding, and if there is adequate financial support to implement the treatment."

The trial is expected to begin in the first week of March.
 

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