The City of Winnipeg has launched its annual mosquito control program ahead of summer, though this spring’s dry weather has slowed the spread of the insects.
Crews began daily mosquito larviciding work last week, which targets the insects during the aquatic larval stage, the city said in a Thursday news release.
The city said it using ground equipment and four helicopters this season to monitor and treat areas with water, totalling more than 28,000 hectares.
David Wade, the superintendent of the city’s insect control branch, said larval development has been slowed due to the weather.
“Because of the lack of rain, there’s been fewer sites to treat,” Wade said.
(Jeff Stapleton/CBC)
Larviciding will take place in early morning, the city said. To avoid disruptions, signs will be put up about 24 hours prior to treatment.
Public gathering spaces, including athletic fields, golf courses and parks, will close 20 minutes before larviciding and reopen 20 minutes following treatment, the city said.
Crews are also monitoring mosquito traps. The first counts from those traps were done on Monday and posted on the city’s website.
Wednesday’s average count for the city was one mosquito per trap, which is normal for this time of year, Wade said.
Fogging
As for adult mosquito treatment, people will also be given 24 hours notice ahead of any fogging if it’s needed, and will get daily updates on scheduled treatments, the city said.
The city said it will prioritize areas with the highest nuisance mosquito counts and will respect buffer zones of at least 90 metres from specific properties.
Residents can apply for a buffer zone next to their main residence online, by fax, by mail or in person at 1539 Waverley St. A minimum 72-hour turnaround time is required.
Last year, the city did not fog for mosquitoes.