The blood suckers are back and their numbers are growing in parts of the city. Trap counts were more than 200 in some areas Tuesday but on average in Winnipeg the bug count was 78. According to the city our mosquito counts were only at a medium nuisance level.
On Wednesday the trap count average almost doubled so the city has announced that they will begin fogging on Thursday night between 9:30pm and 6:30am
In order for a nuisance mosquito fogging program to occur, the City of Winnipeg Adult Nuisance Mosquito Control Policy and the Provincial Pesticide Use Permit define three conditions that must be met:
- The Adulticiding Factor Analysis, which is one city-wide rating, must be HIGH; and
- A minimum city-wide average trap count threshold of 25 female mosquitoes for 2 consecutive nights; and
- One or more of the quadrants of the city are in the range of 100 female adult mosquitoes.
At this time, all of these conditions have been met.
The Insect Control Branch will be open later to process in-person buffer zone requests at 1539 Waverley Street: Wednesday, June 15 and Thursday, June 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please remember to bring a piece of accepted identification that ties the registrant to the address being registered.
Unless you are lucky enough to have a screen house, there are a number of things you can do to protect yourself from the pests in the interim.
- Make sure all doors and windows fit properly and have tight-fitting, fine mesh screens.
- Wear long sleeved shirts and long pants that are light coloured and loose fitting.
- Apply an insect repellent that contains DEET. (DEET is not recommended for children under the age of 6 months.) For more information, go the Manitoba Health web site.
- Reduce outdoor activity where mosquitoes are abundant and active. This will be in heavily vegetated areas and on days that are calm and humid, particularly near sunrise and sunset.
- Cover baby carriages and strollers with fine mesh netting to protect infants.
The best protection is doing want you can to eliminate mosquitos. You can control mosquitoes around your home by removing standing water. Several hundred mosquitoes can develop in a small amount of water. You can stop mosquito larval development by emptying, turning over or removing anything that can hold water for a week or longer.
- Fill in low lying areas where water accumulates
- Store inside, turn over or empty containers that hold water
- Store children’s toys inside when not in use
- Clean and change bird baths weekly
- Install a circulating pump or add fish (goldfish, fat head minnows) to your ornamental pond
- Empty water from potted plant saucers
- Cover rain barrels with tight fitting screens or add 1 cup of bleach to a full barrel of water
- Keep eaves troughs free of debris
- Ensure drains are functioning properly on flat roofs
- Remove old tires or store indoors
- Clean and remove accumulated water from pool covers
- Chlorinate pools