REGINA — A “perfect storm” has created a large mosquito population in Regina.
Ashley Thompson, the City of Regina's manager of parks technical services, said recent weather conditions have led to a surge in the insect population.
“We've had a lot of rain, a lot more rain than we're used to in June, and then the heat came, and it just accelerated the larval development.”
Thompson explained that mosquito larvae require heat to develop, with warmer temperatures accelerating their growth.
That sudden growth has been apparent in mosquitoes collected as part of the city's trap program.
“Up until last week, we'd run our trap program for 11 weeks, and we had caught 780 mosquitoes, I think it was, in total. In the last two days alone, we've caught almost 2,000,” said Thompson.
Thompson said Regina has experienced relatively low mosquito populations in recent years due to drought conditions, but noted the city has also seen periods of significantly higher numbers in the past.
“But back in the '90s, for example, we had really high numbers. We had one week where we caught 40,000 mosquitoes. So it can be a lot worse.”
Preventive measures
The city operates its mosquito control program five days a week.
“We do larviciding, so essentially there are crews out checking standing water around the city, and if they find larvae, they'll treat it with a product called Vectobac, which kills the larvae. It's very target-specific to mosquito larvae.”
However, Thompson noted the city does not have a program to control adult mosquitoes.
“It's expensive. The chemicals you use can be quite toxic, and not many people do it anymore.”
Beyond city measures, residents can also help reduce mosquito populations around their homes.
“Making sure there's no standing water in your yard. If you have rain barrels, cover them. Any tiny little bit of water can carry tons of mosquito larvae,” said Thompson.
People spending time outdoors can also protect themselves by wearing light-coloured clothing and using insect repellent.
Thompson said the surge in mosquitoes will likely continue for another week or two before populations begin to decline as standing water dries up.
