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Dengue Fever

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Advice to commercial and industrial premises in north Queensland

Get rid of breeding sites

Dengue mosquitoes breed in containers that hold water. The dengue mosquito does not breed in rivers, swamps, open drains, creeks or mangroves. These mosquitoes do not like to travel far from breeding sites. The best form of control is to get rid of mosquito breeding sites inside and outside. Dengue mosquitoes breed in containers that hold water, such as:

• buckets
• old tyres
• tarpaulins and black plastic
• pot plant bases
• vases
• boats
• tin cans and plastic containers
• roof guttering
• rainwater tanks with damaged or missing screens
• birdbaths
• drain sumps
• fallen palm fronds
• striking containers (to grow plant cuttings)
• coconut shells

You should check your premises once a week and:

• throw out unused containers
• tip out containers that can hold water and story in a dry place
• clean out roof gutters.

Downloadable posters on preventing dengue are available.

Drain sump pits (eg. in driveways or large car parks) have proven to be a significant site for dengue mosquito breeding, because most of these pits hold water. This problem can be fixed by filling the lower part of the pits with concrete or sand, or by ensuring that pest controllers treat them during routine treatment of your school.

'Stop the mosquito breeding
and you can stop the disease'

For more information on controlling breeding sites view the Guide to the prevention of dengue mosquito breeding on businesses and commercial premises.

Delegated Queensland Health officers and local council environmental health officers (EHOs) have the jurisdiction to enter a property to assess whether there are mosquitoes breeding on that site.

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