An unusually wet spring and floods throughout Victoria have delivered a mosquito infestation to Melbourne and surrounds.
Residents have taken to social media to describe encounters with swarms of the insects in their homes and offices, and while cycling to work.
Something very bizarre and unusual is happening in Melbourne I take it. Too many mosquitos around! 🤔
— Nadine (@Nadinefaour) October 26, 2016
On Reddit, someone with the username “guumball” wrote: “Seems to be a swarm of mosquitos in and around south east Melbourne. Is there a cause? Anybody got any theories? I thought the Yarra was looking dirtier than normal but perhaps that is just a coincidence.”
Another user replied: “It’s not just southeast, I’ve seen them around Tullamarine area and also even in Bendigo.”
Victoria’s chief health officer, Prof Charles Guest, said the increased numbers were due to a particularly wet spring.
“We are starting our efforts to control mosquitoes early this year as heavy rain has provided perfect breeding conditions,” Guest said.
“More than anything, mosquitoes are a nuisance. Most importantly, people should ensure there are no pools of stagnant water on their property.”
The health department said surveillance and control initiatives had started one month early in seven council areas hit by floods, including Swan Hill and Shepparton.
@maiz0r Heaps of mosquitos around the area and around Melbourne too. My house is right next to the fucking creek, so yeah ... 😑😑😑
— Liz (@elizngyn) October 26, 2016
The department advised people in those areas to take steps to protect themselves from bites to prevent contracting Ross river virus, which is spread by mosquitoes and can cause muscle pain and fatigue, and the much rarer Barmah Forest virus, which can cause joint inflammation, pain and a rash.
However, a department spokesman said the mosquitoes in the CBD were “more of a nuisance than a direct health threat”. There had also been an increase in the number of hover flies, crane flies and midges in Melbourne, he said, which sometimes people mistook for mosquitoes.
The head of La Trobe University’s department of environmental management and ecology, Dr Susan Lawler, said she doubted dumping out buckets of stagnant water would be enough to address the situation.
Anyone noticing a shit ton of mosquitos in the air? Like I just drove from east to North and they're still there. #melbourne
— tron5555 (@tron5555) October 19, 2016
“It’s not a bad habit to have, to not keep standing water around your house, but when the park next door still has huge puddles of standing water around, it may not make much difference,” she said.
“Victoria has been covered with standing water for weeks and weeks due to rain and floods, and the water has warmed up and the mosquitoes have subsequently hatched.”
However, with warm weather forecast for Victoria over the next fortnight, she expected the mozzies to move on within a couple of weeks.
“They will also be hit hard by frogs, birds, spiders and people slapping them,” she said.
“This is actually great for the ecosystem, because the bugs are like this lower food-chain, biomass lump, and all sorts of creatures will benefit.”
@t0uring so many mosquitos in melbourne
— free kodak (@MrsVexi) October 27, 2016
I'm like 100% afraid of mosquitos and Melbourne is currently infested with them. Like there are swarms of them hovering around
— bekah (@BekahAdele) October 27, 2016
Has anybody in Melbourne noticed a ridiculous amount of mosquitos popping up? Never had them at home until now #FeelsBadMan
— dalla (@dalla_02) October 27, 2016
Melbourne, I love you, I really do, but you're making it so hard with all these mosquitos and pollen right now.
— David Manuca (@davidmanuca) October 26, 2016
@xbelgra Time to fumigate the whole city
— David Manuca (@davidmanuca) October 26, 2016
