Retailers and their customers have crossed their fingers that supplies will arrive today, but health authorities have warned that prevention is a must to avoid diseases.

The mosquitoes that have arrived as the floodwaters start to recede have been described variously as “big enough to put saddles on”, “as big as locusts” and “silent mozzies”.

Retailer Michael Brennan knows first-hand how bad the mosquitoes are after he bogged the tractor on Saturday night.

Brennan’s stock was “running a bit low” but a supplier was hurried up to deliver today. His stock includes electronic bug zappers, citronella buckets, citronella oil, mosquito coils, Aeroguard and Raid automatic insect control systems.Brennan’s also stocks Nature’s Botanical Lotion, a mixture of rosemary and cedarwood oils that “golfers swear by”.

Priceline pharmacy store manager Michelle Anderson and Crutchers IGA’s Kristie McLeenan said their stores had sold out, but they expected deliveries today.

Òrana Mall Pharmacy pharmacist-in-charge Tony Winmill said there had been a rush on their products and the situation was “2000-esque”, when Dubbo had a bad mosquito plague. The pharmacy sold out early on and Aeroguard-marked boxes had announced the arrival of its Saturday delivery, prompting shoppers to ask where they were bound, Mr Winmill said.

“People were lined up ready to get them as they were unloaded,” he said.

The pharmacy’s shelves were also bare of bite creams. Mr Winmill expected more deliveries today and said mosquito nets may be needed to prevent bites on infants.

Greater Western Area Health Service yesterday warned of the precautions needed to combat mosquito-carried diseases.

There had been a general increase in mosquito activity after the large amount of rainfall and flooding, which provided ideal breeding sites for the mosquitoes, particularly in stagnant water that remains in ponds as floodwaters recede, Greater Western medical officer of health Dr Tony Brown said.

“Mosquito numbers can be associated with an increased risk of a number of viral infections of humans, with Ross River virus and Barmah Forest virus being the most common in our area,” he said.

Veterinarians have already warned of risks to horses, dogs and other animals from mosquito-born diseases.

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