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Pest control Central Coast
Guide 2 of 6

Getting rid of mosquitoes at home, without touching the lakes

Mosquitoes need water to breed, and some mosquitoes can breed in very small amounts of water, NSW Health says. On a coast of lakes that sounds like bad news, and part of it is: the lake is not yours to drain. The yard is. This guide keeps to what NSW Health says is a householder's to fix, and names the devices it says do not work.

Where this sits on the waterline ›

The Central Coast’s water, north to south: Lake Macquarie, the Tuggerah Lakes with Lake Munmorah, Budgewoi Lake and Tuggerah Lake, the four coastal lagoons, Brisbane Water and the Hawkesbury River, in the order Central Coast Council lists them; the houses and the bush edge above them; and the six places named for the mosquito count, April 2023. Each guide has its place here and opens from it. The funnel-web’s northern end Australian Museum Animals at the back fence NSW Environment and Heritage NSW Health: ticks live in humid, moist, bushy areas the houses along the water The house The units Arbovirus season, usually November to April Central Coast Local Health District The water at home North South about 190 hectares of saltmarsh along the Coast’s water Lake Macquarie Lake Munmorah Budgewoi Lake Tuggerah Lake Tuggerah Lakes meets the sea at The Entrance Wamberal Terrigal Avoca Cockrone Brisbane Water runs south to Broken Bay Hawkesbury River Named for the mosquito count, April 2023 Central Coast Local Health District Empire Bay Halekulani Long Jetty North Avoca Ourimbah Pearl Beach NSW Health’s arbovirus surveillance page explains how the state watches each season Drawn in order, not to scale

The health advice on this page is NSW Health's own, from the pages linked in the footer.

The water you can empty, and the water you cannot

The starting fact is small and stubborn: mosquitoes need water to breed, and some of them can breed in very small amounts of it.

NSW Health's Murray Valley encephalitis page opens its protection advice with two sentences worth keeping whole: there is currently no vaccine against Murray Valley encephalitis, and the best way to avoid the virus is to not get bitten by mosquitoes. It then says, Protect yourself, and lists five things:

  • use insect repellent, with the best mosquito repellents having diethyltoluamide (DEET), picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus
  • wear long, loose fitting and light-coloured clothing and covered shoes when outside
  • do not spend lots of time outside at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active
  • cover all windows, doors, vents and other entrances with insect screens
  • remove any containers that hold water where mosquitoes may breed

Pools are the next question. NSW Health's answer separates the two cases cleanly: properly cleaned and chlorinated swimming pools are rarely a source of mosquito breeding, but a neglected pool can be a haven for mosquitoes. A pool that is being run is not the problem; a pool that has been left is.

None of this is advice to drain, spray or fill any part of the shore. Coastal saltmarsh, Central Coast Council's own brochure explains, is a very fragile plant community of low-lying succulents, rushes and sedges, salt-tolerant and mostly treeless, that grows only in a narrow band at the water's edge. The Council records that these areas are listed as an Endangered Ecological Community under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, which makes their protection an obligation shared by the Council and the community, and it adds that as more people come to live near the coast, the risk of further decline in saltmarsh rises.

A householder's part in that is small and specific. The Council asks anyone who sees activity harming saltmarsh to report it, either to the nearest NSW DPI Fisheries office or the Fishers Watch Phoneline on 1800 043 536, or to the Environment Hotline on 131 555. The water you can empty is the water in your own yard.

What works, in NSW Health's words

The most effective thing a person can do, NSW Health says, is apply a topical insect repellent containing DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, and wear long, loose-fitted clothing.

On clothing, its advice is specific: loose, light-coloured clothing with long sleeves and pants when outside, and socks and shoes where possible. On repellent, the most effective ones contain diethyltoluamide, known as DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

Insect repellents that contain those three are proven to be safe and effective, and NSW Health notes they are registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, which checks that products are safe and effective. Using products not registered with the authority may carry a greater risk of adverse skin reactions.

Two details that matter on a hot coast: the strength of a repellent determines the duration of protection, with higher concentrations protecting for longer, and the effectiveness is reduced by sweating, so during strenuous activity or hot weather it may need to be reapplied more frequently. Repellent also needs to be reapplied after swimming.

NSW Health asks people to avoid putting repellent near the eyes and mouth or over open wounds, broken skin or abrasions, and to always follow the product label.

Devices that do not work, and sprays that only help

Plenty of products are sold for mosquitoes. NSW Health's own pages separate them.

  • Wearable mosquito repellent devices, including patches and wrist bands, along with ultra-sonic devices and mobile phone apps, do not provide effective protection from mosquitoes.
  • Devices that use light to attract and electrocute insects have not been proven to be effective in reducing mosquito numbers, and NSW Health notes they often kill harmless insects.
  • Aerosol insecticide sprays, mosquito coils used outdoors, and insecticide vapour dispensing units used indoors can help to clear or repel mosquitoes, but NSW Health is careful about their place: they should be used in addition to, not in place of, other measures such as appropriate clothing and the application of mosquito repellents.

It also makes the smaller point that catches people out: unlike fly sprays, repellents stop mosquitoes biting but do not kill them, and they protect only the areas they cover, so the little patch of skin left bare is the patch that gets bitten.

Children, and people who are pregnant

Most repellents are safe for use on children aged 3 months and older when used according to directions, although some formulations are only recommended for children aged 12 months and older, so NSW Health says to always check the product label for the recommended age.

Its next line is the one to remember: do not allow children to apply their own repellent, apply it on them. Infants aged less than 3 months can be protected by an infant carrier draped with mosquito netting that is secured along the edges.

For pregnancy and breast-feeding, NSW Health's statement is equally plain: registered mosquito repellents used according to product label instructions are considered safe for use during pregnancy and while breast-feeding.

What a householder cannot do anything about

The lakes and lagoons breed mosquitoes no householder can reach, and this guide does not pretend otherwise. The honest position on this coast is the one NSW Health's own advice points to: the water you control is the water in your own yard, and the protection you control is on your own skin.

The guide to the season on this coast is where the timing sits, and NSW Health's own line on timing is that most mosquitoes in NSW become active at dawn and dusk, and into the evening.

The Central Coast’s water, drawn for a phone with north at the top: Lake Macquarie, the Tuggerah Lakes with Lake Munmorah, Budgewoi Lake and Tuggerah Lake, the four coastal lagoons, Brisbane Water and the Hawkesbury River, in the order Central Coast Council lists them; the six places named for the mosquito count, April 2023; the houses along the water; and the bush edge behind them, at the northern end of the funnel-web’s main range. Each guide has its place here and opens from it. The watching season › When it runs, who counts Arbovirus season, usually November to April Central Coast Local Health District North Lake Macquarie Tuggerah Lakes Lake Munmorah Budgewoi Lake Tuggerah Lake meets the sea at The Entrance The coastal lagoons Wamberal, Terrigal, Avoca and Cockrone Brisbane Water runs south to its mouth at Broken Bay Hawkesbury River South in the order Central Coast Council lists them Named for the mosquito count, April 2023 Empire Bay Halekulani Long Jetty North Avoca Ourimbah Pearl Beach NSW Health’s arbovirus surveillance pageexplains how the state watches each season the houses along the water The house ›Termites The units ›Five working days’ notice The water at home ›Mosquitoes in the yard the bush edge The funnel-web’s northern end ›Funnel-webs and ticks Animals at the back fence ›Possums, rabbits, mynas NSW Health: ticks live in humid, moist, bushy areas The water drawn north to south, not to scale