Microbat trial recommended

Gosford Council will be asked sponsor the trial of a mosquito reduction program by mounting microbat nesting boxes in the Bouddi Peninsula and Pretty Beach school areas.

Council officers have recommended that council supply the necessary materials to a resident action group, who would construct 40 nesting boxes and keep a record of the trial.

The trial would be the first of its kind in NSW, and would last 12 months, with six-monthly reviews of the ongoing efficiency and effectiveness of the nesting boxes, according to a staff report.

At council's June 22 meeting, a petition with 383 signatures was tabled stating that there were excessive numbers of mosquitoes in the vicinity of Killcare and noted that a high proportion of these mosquitoes were the salt marsh mosquito, a known carrier of diseases such as Ross River Fever and Barmah Forest disease.

The petition requested council's support in finding a solution to protect their health and lifestyle by controlling mosquito infestations with the use of eco-friendly controls.

An approach to council was made on May 17 by a resident action group which has been formed with the intention to trial a mosquito reduction program using microbat nesting boxes.

The report stated: "By encouraging microbats to roost at Killcare, they should reduce mosquito numbers as microbats are known to consume between 50 to 100 per cent of their total body weight in mosquitos over a night."

Council Agenda NM.10, June 28