‘Tis the mosquito season

With all the recent rain and localized flooding, it looks like we’re about to run into a “mosquito” problem. Mosquitoes require standing water for the early stages of their development, and the more water, the more mosquitoes. That means we could be on the verge of a population explosion.

Watching July pick up exactly where June left off, there’s a lot of water around and more coming down.

Several rivers and lakes have hit 40-year highs in B.C, but it’s the residue flood waters that fill the swamps that for a mosquito is Heaven.

Mosquito eggs laid above an old water line can remain dormant for years, and when that waterline reaches the eggs, it’s ignition Houston.

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“They can dry right out, and stay alive, sort of, in hibernation for many years actually,” says Scott McMahon with Culex environmental, a mosquito control company that contracts its services out to local governments.

They’re constantly monitoring mosquito traps, and watching for a sudden infestation.

“There is certainly a lot more water this year,” says McMahon. “So far, the level numbers have been a bit higher, but it’s been kind of cold, so the warmer it gets, the faster the mosquitoes are going to develop.”

There are 50 different species of mosquitoes in B.C., and it’s the swamp variety that goes most after humans.

In the Interior, they’re hatching by the billions, and while not as prevalent in the Lower Mainland yet, just wait — because sun and heat are in the long term forecast.

Meanwhile, mosquito battle supplies are running low at specialty stores, and the major offensive has yet to begin.

“On the Canada Day weekend, everybody goes camping. It is sort of like the make-or-break weekend, sort of like Christmas, for outdoor stores. We do have a lot of the natural insect repellants coming in,” says “3 vets sporting goods store” co-owner Keith Wolfman.

There might be a silver lining in that dark mosquito cloud: if all those long dormant eggs are about to start hatching once the weather warms. By the same argument, any eggs laid this year should be above next year’s high water mark. At least in theory, next year’s mosquito infestation shouldn’t be as bad.