They’re the scourge of the summer in the top end, disturbing dinner parties, interrupting a good night’s sleep, and in some cases, spreading deadly diseases. With successive high tides and early seasonal rain, mosquitos are now out in full force.
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00:00Is there anything more annoying than a mosquito when you're trying to sleep?
00:09OK, maybe that.
00:13Mosquitoes love the wet weather.
00:18Storms, high tides, rain.
00:21Altogether they create the perfect breeding ground for mozzies to increase their numbers.
00:25A swarm of mosquitoes can travel up to 50 kilometres to find a meal.
00:29Attracted to the CO2 we breathe as well as fragrances,
00:33and your DNA could be the reason they find you so tasty.
00:37If you've got a certain skin composition, they can smell the chemicals
00:41and that's another cue to hone in on you.
00:44A mosquito may be small, but their impact can be deadly.
00:48The salt marsh mosquito can give you Ross River virus.
00:51Some of the freshwater mosquitoes can also give you Ross River virus,
00:56but also the potentially fatal Murray Valley encephalitis virus.
01:00A quarter of people who contract that disease might pass away as well.
01:05To avoid getting bit, take preventative measures.
01:09Wear light-coloured clothing and spray repellent on any exposed skin.
01:14And use airborne insecticides.
01:17Keep your property tidy, including mowing your lawn and tip out containers of water.
01:23Old tyres, pot plant drip trays, your gutters, everything fills up with water.
01:28And all these items can breed mosquitoes.
01:31If you've got a fish pond, you can just stock it up with native fish
01:35and they actually feed on the mosquito larvae.
01:38Dragonflies actually feed on adult mosquitoes.
01:41Bats do as well.
01:43Biting the bugs back.