Mosquito management

The Canning River runs through the heart of the City of Canning and creates aquatic environments home to many native animals, as well as being used for recreational purposes.

Due to tidal influences, areas around the river breed salt marsh mosquitoes (notably Aedes vigilax and Aedes camptorynchus). During warmer months, these mosquitoes can cause significant nuisance to due to their aggressive biting behaviours. These mosquitos also have the potential to transmit mosquito borne disease, with low numbers of Ross River Virus recorded within the district each year.

For these reasons the City implements a Mosquito Management Program, which aims to reduce mosquito breeding, adult numbers and disease incidence. However, the City recommends those engaging in any outdoor activity on or around the river to take practical measures to prevent being bitten. For further information, please refer to the Fight the Bite website.

Reporting mosquito activity

Please contact us if you notice increased mosquito activity around the home or when out and about in Canning.

We want to know when they are in high numbers or if you have detected them around the river. Please submit an online mosquitoes on public land request with the location, time, date and description.

What is the City of Canning doing?

Mosquito Management Plan

To help manage mosquitoes, we’ve developed a Mosquito Management Plan (PDF 16MB) to target the various species of mosquitoes and their effects on the population and visitors to the City of Canning.

The plan provides for:

• ongoing inspections and treatment of mosquito larvae in known breeding areas around the Canning River
• regular mosquito trapping to identify and track adult mosquito numbers
• monitoring of tides, storm surge data and cyclonic activity over summer, which can result in high tides causing hatching of dormant eggs
• monitoring and treatment of stormwater drains around the river
• ongoing community education.

Watch this video to learn more:

Thank you to Crib Creative and the City of Greater Geelong in the making of this video.

Annual Report on Mosquito Management Activities

Each year, we provide a snapshot of our performance in delivering the Mosquito Management Plan. This includes reporting on complaints, adult mosquito trapping, larvicide usage, and grant funding received.

Read the 2023/24 Annual Report City of Canning Mosquito Management Program (PDF 1MB).

Contiguous Local Authority Group (CLAG)

The City is working with the Cities of Melville, South Perth, Perth, Nedlands and the Department of Health to improve and manage mosquito populations around the Swan and Canning rivers.

The group meets regularly to discuss mosquito management actions, monitoring and treatment results, and opportunities for improvement. The Department of Health contributes advice, help, and financial support for Local Government programs, including 50 per cent of the cost to purchase larvicides.

Simple actions you can take to avoid mosquito bites include:

1. Covering up as much as possible, with light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing and covered footwear when outside.
2. Use an effective insect repellent on exposed skin and reapply within a few hours. The best mosquito repellents contain Diethyl Toluamide (DEET), Picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
3.  Cover all windows, doors, vents and other entrances with insect screens.
4. Remove any water-holding containers located outside the house, as this is where mosquitoes could breed.

Resources

If you need help prevent mosquito problems around the home, read the Mosquito Home Checklist (PDF 80KB) and visit the Department of Health’s Fight the Bite website.

To learn more about state and local government mosquito management strategies and programs, visit the Department of Health website.

For further information, please contact us by submitting an online enquiry.