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Mosquitoes are no advantage to tennis players

Wednesday, 09 April 2008

PLAYERS at a north county Dublin tennis club are hoping measures can be taken to eradicate an unwelcome pest that has been making their lives a misery.
Members of Grove Lawn Tennis Club in Malahide are complaining that the increase in mosquitoes in the area over recent summers has left many of them with nasty bites.
Despite the best efforts of the club to tackle the mosquitoes with traps and even calling on the support of a pest control company, the hardy tropical insects have grown in numbers, making life unbearable for the club’s members during games.
Speaking to Northside People, Graham Cure, chairman of Grove Lawn Tennis Club, said some members have been badly affected by what has become known as the ‘Malahide mosquito’.
“Many of our members have complained about unpleasant, itchy bites and one even had to be hospitalised because of it,” Mr Cure stated.

“The problem is at its worst during evenings and last year was particularly bad considering we had a very damp summer.”
Mr Cure said the club has used both mains and solar powered insectocutors to try and stave off the mosquitoes but that it has had very little effect.
“The old Eastern Health Board used to arrange for an extensive spraying programme of the breeding grounds for the mosquitoes each spring, but that hasn’t happened in recent years,” he said.
“We are hoping that a new spraying programme can be initiated, as our efforts have not been enough to keep the mosquitoes away.”
At a recent Fingal County Council meeting, Cllr Peter Coyle (Lab) called for controls to be re-introduced annually to tackle the Malahide mosquito.
Cllr Coyle urged the council’s environment department to liaise with the Health Service Executive (HSE) to carry out a control of mosquitoes in the general Malahide area, by using an environmentally friendly, biodegradable, non-toxic spray at traditionally treated locations.
“The Malahide mosquito is rampant over a wide area and is a major hazard, particularly outdoors in summer evenings,” he stated.
Cllr Coyle said the large mosquito appears to have originally arrived in the area among plants and trees brought from tropical locations to Malahide Demesne.
“The still waters of the local Broadmeadow Estuary have provided perfect breeding grounds for the insect,” Cllr Coyle added.
“A mosquito management programme is needed to inhibit the development of mosquito larvae so as to minimise the need for ‘fogging’ with chemical insecticides to control the adult mosquitoes,” he said.
A spokeswoman for Fingal County Council told Northside People it was currently in discussions with the HSE’s Pest Control Unit in relation to re-introducing a spraying programme.

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