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Mosquito Monitoring

Mosquito monitoring is undertaken by local experts who volunteer their time to improve the quality of life for our community. You can help with this monitoring by reporting bites. The more information we receive, the more we can create an accurate picture which in turn helps with targeting dredging works to minimise the mosquito menace. You can report bites here using our online form, alternatively you can also report bites via the Neston Life Android App and Neston Life Apple App.

Mosquito Control

Whilst it is not possible to eradicate mosquitoes, Neston Town Council is committed to controlling the numbers in an environmentally responsible way.

The Town Council works with partners to implement a co-ordinated plan for mosquito control based on the concept of Open Marsh Water Management. Pool creation and ditching works, all of which are approved in advance by Natural England, are carried out as part of an ongoing and targeted programme, the effects of which are monitored and in turn inform future management.

Mosquito Forecast

Mosquito monitoring is undertaken by local experts who volunteer their time to improve the quality of life for our community. You can help with this monitoring by reporting bites. The more information we receive, the more we can create an accurate picture which in turn helps with targeting dredging works to minimise the mosquito menace. You can report bites here using our online form, alternatively you can also report bites via the Neston Life Android App and Neston Life Apple App.

Green traffic light

The current forecast is GREEN

There have been a surprising number of adult mosquitoes caught in our Little Neston traps in the last week (perhaps reflecting the mild temperatures on the trapping days earlier this week), but none in the Parkgate traps. Out on the marshes, the larval development has stopped, and the larvae will remain in their present state until the Spring.

The potential biting nuisance is expected to be low in the coming week, particularly if the temperatures drop and the wind blows..

Please continue to report mosquito bites, which are being analysed and will be summarised at the end of the year.

Please be sure to report any bites through the online link. This anonymous information is used for research purposes only and helps in ensuring the accuracy of these forecasts.

My advice to lessen the chances of being bitten is:

  • If possible, try to avoid you and your children being outside in the late afternoon and evening.
  • Try to avoid getting hot and sweaty: if you do, keep running, or on the move!
  • Wear long sleeves and trousers and also a hat. Reduce the bare skin target for mossies!. Loose clothing is better than tight.
  • Use an effective insect repellent (see below) over all areas of bare skin.

I am often asked what is the best repellent. I do not know, but personally I have found “Smidge” very effective. Citronella products and various patches or bands are often promoted but with very little or no real evidence of efficacy. 

I would suggest you use a product which contains one of the four proven very effective repellents:

  • DEET (old fashioned but still the “gold standard”; it has an odour and is liable to dissolve anything plastic, including nail polish, and can cause skin irritation in some people)
  • IR3535 (can irritate skin in some people)
  • Picardin (also called Icardin or Saltidin), odourless and non-greasy
  • PMD (a natural extract from gumtree leaves).

Always read the product label, especially if intending to use on children.

If you are bitten:

  • Don’t scratch the bite (scratching increases the risk of the bite becoming infected)
  • Apply an ice cube ASAP to reduce the effects of the bite.
  • Oral paracetamol may help symptoms, especially if there are multiple bites.
  • If local symptoms are very troublesome, you can apply 1% hydrocortisone cream (just to the bitten area), which is available over the counter at pharmacies.

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Keys to traffic lights forecast

Red:
Serious risk. Many Neston residents are likely to be bitten, especially but not only in the evenings. Precautionary methods as outlined in the FAQs should be used when gardening or enjoying barbecues.

Amber:
Medium risk. Some Neston residents may be bitten, especially on still warm evenings.

Green:
Low risk. Neston residents are unlikely to be bitten.

Feedback on Mosquitoes and the Mosquito Monitoring Programme

Send us feedback on our monitoring reports by emailing us at: mosquitoes@neston.org.uk

Further Reading

A report by Dr. Peter Enevoldson on mosquito monitoring during 2022 is available to download: Mosquito Monitoring 2022

A copy of the study by Michael Clarkson, Phil Jones and Sandra Hughes‐Crean entitled “Domestic mosquitoes in the Neston area of Cheshire, UK”. This single page PDF summarises the detail and conclusion of a long term study into the mosquitoes on the Dee estuary marshlands around Neston and the immediate surrounding towns and villages. This document is downloadable here.

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