There’s nothing more Aussie than being bitten to buggery at a barbie (or dousing yourself with toxic chemicals in a futile attempt to avoid it). But these pesky creatures don’t just interrupt peaceful grog consumption, they’re actually the deadliest creatures on the planet.
Every year mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, kill over a million people globally and infect around 700 million. Over time they’ve killed more humans than all wars combined.
The word “mosquito” is Spanish for “little fly”. There are around 3,600 species around the world but only a small number of them are deadly. Around 60 types are found in the Sydney area. The typical Northern Beaches mosquito season runs from November to April, with December to February traditionally the most active months.
Although mosquito-borne diseases aren’t so common in Australia, there are still a range of debilitating illnesses of concern including: Barmah Forest Virus, Murray Valley Encephalitis and occasional outbreaks of Dengue Fever. Climate change is expanding the mosquito’s geographical range, making areas like Sydney more receptive to the diseases they spread.
The Ross River Virus was recently detected in mosquitos near Narrabeen Lagoon. There’s also growing concern that the Asian Tiger mosquito will establish itself here. This is known as the “barbecue stopper” in places like the USA where it can bite up to a hundred times an hour and survive in cool climates.
Most mozzies are attracted by carbon dioxide (present in the air we exhale) and the infra-red radiation emitted by warm bodies. Some tests show that beer drinkers may be more prone to getting bitten and that Dengue Fever mosqui- tos love the smell of stinky feet (not great news for Peninsula folk). Pregnant women get bitten twice as much as other people because they exhale 21% more CO2 and have a higher body temperature.
A full moon can increase mosquito activity by 500 per cent as evening light makes it easier for them to identify their next meal. Mosquitos nor- mally feed on plant sap and nectar. Only females will bite humans because they need protein from blood to produce their eggs.
After landing on your skin, she will inject saliva (which acts as an anticoagulant) allowing her to suck up your blood. The itchy sensation you get is your body’s immune system producing histamines to combat the saliva. Some mosquitos can drink three times their entire body weight in blood during a meal.
You can try deterring mosquitos by eating lots of garlic or rubbing sliced onion on your skin. Burning citronella oil may help but they are not attracted to the bright light of “Bug Zappers” which mostly only destroy beneficial insects.
Mosquitos can lay their eggs in the very small amounts of water that collect in saucers, old tyres, even bottle tops. The best way to keep them at bay is to remove any such containers of standing water around your home.
Mosquitos are a vital food source for frogs, birds, dragon flies and micro bats. In a balanced ecosystem, their numbers are kept well under control by these natural predators. However, in 1925 the Eastern Gambusia or “Mosquito Fish” was introduced to Australia as a “biological control”. Unfortunately, they prey voraciously on native aquatic life and have become the most widespread freshwater fish in the country whilst having little impact on mozzies. They are now a declared noxious pest.
Mozzies aren’t unpopular everywhere though. Cork City Council, in Ireland, is considering immortalising one with the smallest public statue in the world. It would commemorate the little fly reputed to have given Oliver Cromwell malaria during the siege of Cork in 1690.
For Wild Man Mal Fisher’s latest updates follow on Instagram @thegreenmanly