Wynnum's edge
Mangroves and tidal flats
A boardwalk runs north from Elanora Park through the mangrove swamp fringing the park, and Lota Creek's mouth has extensive mangrove swamps, beside the tidal flats of Moreton Bay Marine Park. Coastal wetlands like these are where Brisbane's saltmarsh mosquitoes come from.
Big tides, then a hatch
Brisbane City Council says a big high tide or heavy rain can trigger a mass hatching, and its mosquito program runs all year. Early evenings in the warmer months are the time to cover up.
A seaside town first
Wynnum's heritage trail says seaside living took off as the railway made the trip from Brisbane easier. The Shire Clerk's Cottage dates from 1890, and a private home called Britannia from 1910.
If your home is one of the old ones
Brisbane City Council describes traditional houses as generally built in 1946 or earlier, mostly timber and raised on stumps, partly as a preventative measure against termites. Many have since had the space underneath closed in, and that can hide the stumps an inspector needs to see.
Tell the termite inspector about any bathroom, laundry or room added under the house. Look for sagging floors, damaged skirting boards and door jambs, or mud tubes on stumps, and leave what you find undisturbed. Termite work needs a QBCC licence in Queensland, as well as a pest management licence.
Rainwater tanks near the bay
Brisbane City Council says the dengue mosquito doesn't currently occur in Brisbane, and warns that unmaintained rainwater tanks may let it re-establish. So a tank isn't only a local nuisance question. Queensland tanks need mosquito-proof screens or flap valves on every opening, including overflows.
Fire ants in a bayside yard
Report suspected nests to Biosecurity Queensland, within 24 hours, as the law requires. Don't touch the nest or break it open, and keep children and pets well back.
At home, and for the pest business
You can
- Check tank screens and overflows for gaps.
- Keep the under-house area clear so stumps can be seen.
- Fix dripping taps, and direct downpipes away from the walls.
- Cover up at dusk in the days after a big tide.
Leave to a pest business
- A termite inspection with a written report.
- Cockroaches, rats and spiders around older timber.
- Wasp nests under eaves and verandahs.
What we'd do about pests in Wynnum
On an older Wynnum home, we'd book the termite inspection before spending anything on mosquitoes. The bay isn't going anywhere, but the timber in your house is the thing you can protect.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
