Families complaining of a huge increase in the number of mosquitoes on their Tai Po public housing estate say a burst of control activity by the estate managers yesterday was just a show.
The action came as a legislator, a leading health official and the media descended on the Fu Shin Estate to investigate claims of mosquito black spots.
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the property managers, Infinity Services, blamed the problem on nearby private housing and heavy summer rain.
The mosquito ovitrap index, a measure of the prevalence of dengue fever-carrying mosquitoes, jumped from 4 per cent in May to 39.3 per cent last month in Tai Po. Figures for January to March in the district were zero.
Legislative councillor Li Kwok-ying said after the visit that the managers and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department needed to do a better job.
Property Manager Leung Lam Mee-hing, of Infinity Services, insisted it had been doing its job.
'We spray pesticides every day,' she said, but added that the effectiveness of the sprays had decreased during June's exceptionally heavy rain.