Mosquito surveillance in Yarra

Yarra’s mosquito surveillance program

While Yarra is not a high-risk area for mosquito outbreaks, Council’s Health Protection Unit conducts a small but important annual surveillance program to monitor numbers and the types of mosquitos found locally.

The program collects important information on local species, changes in breeding habits and abundances of mosquitos, and any early indictators of a potential disease transfer to people from the environment. It focuses on gathering data and reviewing any disease characteristics found in trapped mosquitos. Data collected by our officers contributes to the statewide Victorian Arbovirus Disease Control Program (VADCP).

Council does not run a treatment or control program in response to mosquito activity. Where does Council’s mosquito surveillance occur?

There are four sites that Council undertakes mosquito surveillance in Yarra:

• Rushall Reserve in Fitzroy North
• Merri Creek in Clifton Hill
• Alphington Wetlands in Alphington
• Halls Reserve in Fitzroy North

These sites were selected for routine monitoring due to their proximity to residential areas and high level of use by the community.

What does Council’s mosquito surveillance look like?

The typical mosquito surveillance season runs between November and April each year, when mosquitos are more active.

During the season, Council’s Environmental Health Officers will set traps at the four sites above. The traps are left on site for 24 hours before they are collected, and trapped mosquitoes are counted and sent for formal identification and disease profiling.

Our mosquito traps will always be fully signed, and it is critical you do not interfere with the traps or their immediate surroundings. The contents of the traps are not harmful to humans, animals or the environment, however they are designed to attract mosquitos in the area.

What does our surveillance data show?

Our trapping data over the last few years has highlighted the following trends:

• There are two mosquito species of particular concern found locally - Culex Annulirostrus and Aedes Notoscriptus.
• Both species can potentially transfer of a range of viruses including Ross River Virus (RRV).
• There were 195 cases of RRV reported in Victoria in 2025.

Mosquito transmitted diseases and prevention

Visit Mosquito management in Victoria for more information on Mosquito Transmitted Diseases, broader surveillance and management across Victoria, and how to avoid mosquito bites at home.