"Over 100 millimetres of rain across the city on 23 January plus two king tides in the same month have jump-started the breeding season for mosquitoes following recent dry conditions," Cr Quirk said.
"Council's team is already on the job and are well prepared to act in the case of further showers and king tides, which can be the catalysts for the hatching of dormant mosquito eggs.
"Council staff monitors approximately 2800 known breeding sites, which can range from large scale saltmarshes to temporary and semi-permanent ground pools."
Cr Quirk said despite a robust management system, the program can never eliminate all mosquitoes and residents should take their own measures to limit the impact of mosquitoes
"We spray many thousands of hectares both aerially and on ground level, but variables such as wind direction and intense breeding in individual small pools mean the job of mosquito management is ongoing. Council is also there to act in the case of reports of isolated outbreaks from residents."
Cr Quirk said hot spots during heavy rain periods usually included river and creek suburbs within 10 kilometres of the river mouth and Council also regularly targeted coastal suburbs impacted by high tides such as the Boondall and Tinchi Tamba Wetlands in Brisbane's north and the Wynnum, Hemmant and Tingalpa Creeks to the south.
[Extract of a press release from Councillor Geraldine Knapp's website]
How can we help prevent the spread of mosquitoes?
Mosquito coils, mosquito bracelets and repellent will all help to prevent you and your family getting bitten by the dreaded mosquito! You can also help by ensuring there is no stale still water around your home or stagnant rain water puddles for more than a day or two.
The Council lists their top 5 methods to manage mosquitoes at home as:
