Mosquito numbers have dropped dramatically across Queensland's coastal regions this year and residents have Mother Nature to thank.
Constant downpours disrupted typical breeding patterns, and health data shows that has also slowed the spread of many mosquito-borne diseases.
On the Sunshine Coast, council officer Mark Call said mosquito larvae in waterways across the region had reduced by up to 80 per cent.
Mr Call said, while rain typically created better breeding grounds for the pests, this year there was just too much.
"There's something in the region of 2 metres of rain within a four or five month period along the coastal fringe particularly," Mr Call said.
"There was too much rain for mosquitoes to breed in a lot of areas, so we actually did less spraying and mosquito control than in drier years — so that was quite interesting to see."
Mr Call said intense rainfall impacted the saltmarsh-breeding mosquitoes, which were the most abundant on the Sunshine Coast.
"Whether the water is not salty enough, or one theory is also the natural predators get a chance to move in," Mr Call said.
"Fish species, dragonflies, naturally occurring predators get their numbers up and just don't let the mosquito larvae breed up in big numbers."
The salt marsh mosquitoes also needed a "drying period" for their eggs to cure before they hatched.
"When you get, essentially, five months of fairly consistent weather, those eggs just don't get a chance to cure."
Don't count mozzies before they hatch
CSIRO principal research scientist Paul De Barro said the reprieve from the biting insects might not last long.
Warmer spring weather could result in a population explosion.
"It's been a particularly cold winter and so that's going to slow down mosquito development," Dr De Barro said.
"If we're expecting our third La Niña, we can expect the conditions that existed last year over spring and summer, which will allow those mosquitoes that respond to flooding-type conditions, to pick up again."
Only female mosquitoes about to lay eggs bite humans and Dr De Barro said mosquito control needed to be balanced.
"They are important in a healthy ecosystem, so getting rid of mosquitoes is not necessarily a good thing," the scientist explained.
"They're involved in a whole range of ecological functions, particularly the larvae in chewing up detritus in the water, so recycling dead plant material.
"Mosquitoes can play roles as pollinators and they're also important food sources for a whole range of species, both invertebrate predators right through to birds and bats."
Dr De Barro said the CSIRO would be keeping a close watch on whether warmer weather brought a resurgence in mosquito-borne Japanese encephalitis virus after an outbreak earlier in the year.
Viruses down, but remain vigilant
Mr Call and the CSIRO's observations are reflected in Queensland Health figures, which show a significant drop in mosquito-borne diseases across the state.
There have been 622 Ross River virus infections so far this year, compared to the five-year average of 1,593.
Barmah Forest infections are down to 138, compared to an average of 175.
Malaria and dengue cases are significantly lower too, although the diseases are usually acquired overseas.
Despite the drop in infections, health authorities are warning residents to take steps to protect themselves.
Public health physician Marion Woods, from the Sunshine Coast Hospital and Health Service, said it only took one bite to contract a deadly or debilitating virus.
"We know that Japanese encephalitis has entered into Queensland and New South Wales, down to Victoria," Dr Woods said.
There have been two confirmed cases of the life-threatening virus in Queensland this year.
"It's a very serious illness … in symptomatic people, it can be severe and fatal," Dr Woods said.
"Simple measures of wearing mosquito repellent and light-coloured clothing are quite useful in reducing the number of mosquito bites."
Mosquito control programs typically ramp up during spring, as temperatures rise.
Mark Call said residents should also ensure containers that held stagnant water were emptied to prevent freshwater mosquitoes from breeding.
