The City of Red Deer will commence its annual spring mosquito-fighting campaign next week.
Ken Lehman, ecological services operations co-ordinator, said the campaign kicks off every April so it’s business as usual.
“It’s a little bit drier than usual and that would point to a lighter campaign. However, it could start raining tomorrow and not stop. The conditions can always shift on us quickly,” Lehman said.
“The amount of water on the landscape is a good indication of how many larvae will be out there. At present, there’s not a lot of water.”
He said there will always be some larvae in pools of snow melt, but staff won’t know the extent until they get out there and check.
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Rain or snow, Red Deer needs more spring wetness
Mosquito eggs are known to lay dormant for weeks, months — or possibly even years — during dry periods. They only hatch after water covers them, and the larvae need stagnant water to survive. They live in water for seven to 14 days, depending on the temperature and turn into pupae before emerging as adult mosquitoes.
The city uses a microbial pesticide called bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) where mosquitoes will hatch. Bti is a bacterium naturally found in soils, and it is used to treat aquatic larvae during the mosquito life cycle before they emerge as adults.
“That’s by far the most effective means.”
Bti is a non-chemical product that only kills mosquitoes. It does not affect fishing waters, other aquatic organisms or birds.
He said treatment throughout the season is completely dependent on weather patterns and conditions. If it’s wet enough, they will get out and treat standing water, like ditches, that are outside the city’s functional wetlands where birds and other predators feed on mosquitoes.
“It’s a game of balance. We’re talking about managing to tolerable levels. We’re not trying to wipe every mosquito out,” said Lehman, adding that would be impossible because mosquitoes also move in from outside the city.
szielinski@reddeeradvocate.com
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