EDMONTON – The city is waging its annual battle against the pesky mosquitoes that wreak havoc on Edmontonians each summer.
A late spring gave us a couple-week delay when it came to having to fight off the critters. But by mid-May, they were back with a vengeance. And while most of them have died off by now, Edmonton’s resident bug expert says there are still a couple more waves to come.
Mike Jenkins, a biological sciences technician, explains we’re currently seeing the development of the third-wave, or what he calls “the spring species.” That batch will contain a pretty mixed-bag of mosquitoes, including aggressive day-time biters and those that are more active around dawn and dusk.
But the main biters are still to come.
“Probably at the end of June,” predicts James Wilke, director of Animal Care and Pest Management. “Those are the ones that last all year, the nasty ankle-biters that come out and bother everyone.”
“The really sneaky guys that come and get you when you’re sleeping on your patio,” adds Jenkins.
He says how big that population is will depend on how much rain we’ll get from now until then.
The city has been doing regular spraying and trapping; and, so far, the numbers are very similar to those seen last year.
The mosquito population is also, on average, about 80 per cent lower in the city than outside of it.
As much as many would wish for the mosquitoes to be completely eliminated, Jenkins explains that’s just not going to happen.
“It probably wouldn’t be good for the overall environment, if we did,” he says. “Our goal is to reduce the amount of mosquitoes that are in the Edmonton area to improve the quality of life, and allow people to get out and actually enjoy the short Edmonton summer.”
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