Winnipeg’s annual efforts to control the mosquito population have begun. The city’s proactive mosquito larviciding program, which targets mosquito larvae in the aquatic stage before they emerge as adult mosquitoes, started this morning.
David Wade, Superintendent of Insect Control, stated, “The snow has melted and spring rains are occurring which means mosquito season is here. Now our job is to target larvae that are already hatching in ditches and low-lying areas to control the population before it grows.”
This season’s mosquito control program will continue to be based on an environmentally mindful strategy. It includes a 100% biorational larviciding program using ground equipment and four helicopters, monitoring and treating over 28,000 hectares of water area on an ongoing basis based on weather conditions, and monitoring for adult nuisance mosquitoes in New Jersey Light Traps.
Adult mosquito treatments will only be initiated if the requirements of the City policy, the AFA Guidelines, and the Provincial Pesticide Use Permit are met. The city will conduct any required adult nuisance mosquito control using DeltaGard 20EW® and will prioritize areas with the highest nuisance mosquito populations.
In accordance with Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation Division, the city’s contractor operates under a low flight waiver to apply larvicides at low altitudes. When larviciding is occurring above places where people congregate, the area will be closed to the public for the duration of the treatment as well as 20 minutes before and after.
Residents can apply for a buffer zone adjacent to their principal residence to prevent the application of DeltaGard within 90 metres of a specific property. The city also encourages residents to eliminate standing water by following the #draindumpcover protocol.
The city provides an automated daily telephone and email notification system for insect control activities. Residents can register online or by contacting 311.
For more information, visit winnipeg.ca/insectcontrol.
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