Scientific spraying is a positive step

In justifying its position about mosquitoes breeding in the Cockle Bay Nature Reserve, Killcare Wagstaff Trust states "it is difficult enough protecting them from weeds..."

This is exactly what the salt marsh mosquito is - a "weed" of the insect kingdom, which breeds to unnatural numbers because of the environment we created.

How do we eradicate plant weeds?

We either remove them by hand or spray with the most environmentally-sound systemic product available.

The Trust states: "The trust fully supports the need for a balanced scientifically-based approach ... it is important to choose controls that are the correct response to the risk..."

Personal preventative measures and insecticides are mentioned as a way of avoiding bites.

Spraying my own or my children's skin with these chemicals to be absorbed into their systems is an unknown risk I am not prepared to take.

However the risk assessment study carried out by The Department of Medical Entomology, Westmead Hospital in 2005 recommending applications of small amounts of lavicide applied to the swamp areas of Cockle Bay at a specific time of year when the larvae have hatched was a sound and formal scientific study.

It states emphatically that the mosquitoes do not breed around our homes (these are a different species).

Removal of our banksias, native shrubs (which create breeding sites for small native birds) and shade areas around our homes is useless when the wind emanates from the direction of the salt marsh mosquito breeding area.

These weeds of the insect kingdom are carriers of Ross River and Barmah Fever.

Both are seriously debilitating illnesses, recurring often for many years after the first bout.

The numbers of these diseases are increasing in the Central Coast area and over 80 people contracted either one in the past year.

The Trust states "short term solutions are never the answer to a problem" and I agree.

This scientifically-based spraying of the mosquito larvae is at least one positive step in the direction of cutting down their plague proportion numbers.

Many small steps often get us where we want to go.

Susan Munro Ross Killcare Heights