Edmontonians concerned about where the city is using pesticide can now check online to see which locations have been treated.
The city says that crews will upload where they plan to be, what chemical they are using and for what purpose each day. That information can be viewed in the Pesticide Public Notification Map.
The map will show what areas the city has treated for mosquitoes, tree insects and other pests, as well as weeds.
Residents can also select the type of treatment control about which they’re looking for more information.
The city already uses GPS technology to record where crews — both helicopter and truck crews — have treated for mosquitoes. That information will be uploaded into the open data catalogue within a few weeks of application, according to the city.
Cooler temperatures overnight have slowed the metabolism of mosquito larvae, thus stunting their growth.
But Edmonton’s mosquito expert expects this season to be “about the same” as last year once the temperatures warm up.
“Probably around early May is when we’ll see the first of our spring species showing up, which is about average for the Edmonton area,” Mike Jenkins said.
Peak season is usually in July, but Jenkins said it depends on how much rainfall the city gets.