Mosquito fogging starts Saturday

WINNIPEG – To the relief of many the City will fog mosquitoes daily starting Saturday at 9:30 p.m. to 6:30 a.m.

“They’re a constant annoyance, swatting at them, buzzing around, nothing good about mosquitoes whatsoever,” said one Winnipegger. “I’ve got no problem with fogging, bring it on.

With the city-wide mosquito rating at ‘high’, trap counts over 25 for 48 hours, and at least one quadrant of the city with 100 skeeters, the City now has the green light to fog.

“To date, the insect control branch has used a combination of larviciding and residual treatments to control the mosquito populations. These measures alone are no longer sufficient to control the current adult nuisance mosquito population,” said Ken Nawolsky, Superintendent of Insect Control.

The City will continue using larvicide to kill the young, and now the insecticide Malathion will be used to instantly kill adult mosquitoes along streets and parks.

For residents who don’t want their homes fogged they can register with the City for a buffer zone. If inside a buffer zone city crews won’t spray within 90 meters on each side of your property, front street, side street, and back lane.

“I really appreciate when they don’t fog actually but then I understand we reap the benefits of the fogging as well. Just because of my children, I have two kids and I appreciate the lack of chemicals in the air,” said Winnipegger Andrew Siebert.

Lukas Thiessen has applied for a buffer zone around his house in the past, something that residents have to renew every year.

“I’m not exactly for killing other living creatures so I’d like to find a way to cohabitate with them,” said Thiessen.

With the amount of rain Winnipeg was hit with last weekend, the City expects to see a new emergence of mosquitoes by Tuesday or Wednesday.