Sask. deals with higher mosquito count from rain, heat

Here's CTV's Hallee Mandryk on why we're seeing more of this pesky nuisance in Saskatchewan this summer.

Summer in Saskatchewan is a time that many look forward to for outdoor activities like camping, fishing or simply taking in the sunshine.

But this summer has brought a higher number of mosquitos to places like Regina and Saskatoon.

And it’s starting to have an impact on residents.

“It’s always buggy, we know that, but this year is sort of exceptional,” Alison Meinert, the owner of Eb’s Source for Adventure told CTV News.

The local outdoor activity supply store has seen an uptick in the demand for products that deter mosquitoes. Meinert says staff have even heard from customers who have had to cut plans short due to the pests.

“A few customers who’ve gone up to Waskesiu, and actually came back early, kind of abandoned their camping because the bugs were just so bad,” Meinert said.

Meinert said Eb’s Source for Adventure offers items like bug shirts, bug head nets, and tarps with mesh to help ward mosquitoes off when outdoors.

“I’ve had to restock a few times on the bug shirts for sure. The full ones for all those people who are going on multi-day trips, they’re just needing that protection from the bugs,” Meinert said.

Sean Prager, associate professor of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan, shared that earlier in season, there was a significant uptick in the mosquito population which is now declining closer to the seasonal average as of the last week.

“They are worse. Way worse is probably a bit a bit tricky. They weren’t worse at the beginning of the season. They’re a little more close to average over the last week or so, but in the middle, [there] were substantially higher mosquito populations than there had been on average over the last ten years,” Prager said.

In a statement to CTV News, the City of Saskatoon said it has seen higher mosquito activity compared to previous years due to increased rainfall and temperatures.

“These conditions create ideal breeding environments and can activate dormant mosquito eggs that remain viable for several years ... residents are reminded that mosquitoes can breed in very small amounts of standing water,” the city wrote.

“Eliminating water from items such as bird baths, pet dishes, eavestroughs, tarps, old tires and low-lying areas can help reduce mosquito populations. Water that can’t be removed, should be covered, screened, or treated if possible to prevent mosquitos from using it as habitat.”

Meinert said she’s seen the increased mosquito presence in both rural and urban areas.

“The mosquitoes have been much worse even in the city. You could be right downtown with concrete and you’re getting bitten by bugs,” Meinert said.

The local business owner added that she’s hopeful residents will still take time to enjoy the warmer months despite the increased mosquito presence.

Regina

Regina has also been the perfect breeding ground for mosquitos this summer.

With an influx of rain in June, followed by a heat wave in early July, the blood sucking insects are thriving in the Queen City.

City officials say their mosquito trapping program over a previous 11-week span caught nearly 800 mosquitos.

But in the past two weeks alone, they have caught almost 2,000.

The city said it’s also taken preventative measures to curb Regina’s mosquito population.

“We do larvaeciding. So essentially, there’s crews out five days a week. They go and they check standing water around the city. And if they find larvae in it, they’ll treat it with a product called VectoBac, which kills the larvae,” said Ashley Thompson, manager of parks and technical services.

However, Thompson added that VectoBac is very target-specific to mosquito larvae.

Thompson says the extreme heat seen as of late allows mosquito larvae to grow faster.

This makes it even more important for city workers to try to identify and get rid of larvae early on before they grow.

Thompson said there are several precautions and steps citizens can take in order to mitigate the risk of mosquitos near their home or getting bitten when they are nearby.

They include wearing light coloured clothing and using mosquito repellent – with or without deet.

Reginans should also make sure there is no standing water in their yards and are advised to cover rain barrels or empty them as often as possible.

The city says that any tiny little bit of water can carry tons of mosquito larvae.