Controlling mosquito populations for you and your piggery

Controlling mosquito populations around your farm is crucial to preventing the spread of Japanese encephalitis (JE) and other diseases for you and your piggery. While the information in this article applies to humans and pigs, much can also be applied to other livestock. 

The basics  

Adult mosquitoes lay eggs on or around fresh, waste or stagnant standing water in natural or man-made places including ponds, dams, rainwater or septic tanks, scrap metal piles, old drums, farm equipment, roof gutters, buckets, troughs, puddles, creeks, ditches and marshy areas. 

When they hatch, larval mosquitoes, known as wrigglers, live in the water and can complete their development and emerge as adults within 7–10 days. 

What you can do 

There are simple steps humans can take to avoid our exposure to infected mosquitos and these are: 

• wear a loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirt with long pants, and covered shoes 

• apply insect repellent to all exposed skin during your workday 

• use repellents that contain diethyltoluamide (DEET), picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus 

For animals however, a combination of environmental and chemical control is most effective way to control mosquitos. From an environmental perspective: 

• remove anything in the open that is filled with water or has the potential to hold water 
• fill potholes or other areas that collect water 

• ensure gutters, downpipes, and drains around buildings are free of debris that creates pooling water, and trimming overhanging branches 
• ensure effluent drainage is free flowing, flushed regularly and does not pool 
• ensure all tanks, wells or other large water containers are sealed, or screened with 1mm mesh 

Adult mosquitoes prefer sheltered, cool, and dark places to rest, and tend to be on the underside of objects or plant foliage to avoid getting wet. Reducing vegetation around your piggery will also minimise areas where adult mosquitoes can rest. 

Lastly, ensure all windows and doors are covered by well-maintained mosquito proof screens. 

Monitor mosquito numbers daily. Visually inspect water bodies and water-filled containers for wrigglers, and facilities for resting adult mosquitoes (e.g., ceilings, walls). If mosquitoes remain abundant, consider additional mosquito control. 

Chemical control 

Chemical residues in pork are a trade and food quality risk and the misuse of chemicals can also create environmental risks to bees, wildlife, aquatic life, and people. If you start using chemicals: 

• do not apply chemicals that are not registered for use on pigs to pigs, pig feed, surfaces pigs may contact, or in a way that might result in chemical drifting onto pigs 
• only use chemicals approved for use against mosquitoes and strictly follow the directions for use on the label 

• seek professional advice if you are unsure about how to use a chemical – chemical use for mosquito control should be conducted by people authorised to use chemicals in accordance with state/territory training and licensing requirements. Preferably use a licensed pest control operator 
• restrict chemical use to areas required to be treated. 

Chemical control can be applied to water sources, the outside of sheds and buildings, effluent ponds, staff facilities and pigs. 

Remember to keep records of all pest control activities as part of your biosecurity plan. 

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