City to start using new fogging spray for mosquitoes

WINNIPEG — The city plans to start killing mosquitoes with a new fogging spray this summer.

The new spray is called DeltaGard and it’s considered more environmentally friendly than malathion. Malathion is a chemical insecticide the city has been using to fog mosquitoes for years.

“Delta Guard is the best product that we have available,” said Dave Domke, manager of parks and open spaces for the city of Winnipeg.

READ MORE: Winnipeg will not be using malathion to fog mosquitoes until further notice

In 2015, the World Health Organization said that malathion is “probably carcinogenic” to human beings. The chemical stopped being manufactured in 2014.

Field tests conducted by the city of Winipeg show DeltaGard killed 98 per cent of mosquitoes from up to metres away, a performance that was similar to malathion.

Ultimately the city decided on DeltaGard over Pyrocide, another insecticide that costs more than twice as much and could have far worse health effects.

“The cost is significantly more of course but there is another product that makes it work better and it is labelled by the EPA, Environmental Protection Agency, as a class E carcinogen,” said Domke.

READ MORE: Chemical used for mosquito fogging “probably carcinogenic” according to the World Health Organization

DeltaGard still needs to be registered for use in Canada, which the city said should happen by June at the latest.

Since fogging operations don’t start until June 30th, based on averages over 15 years, the city isn’t concerned about not having enough of the new chemical by the beginning of mosquito season.

Fogging all of Winnipeg with this new spray will cost twice as much as it did with malathion.

With files from 680 CJOB