Residential mosquito fogging begins Thursday night in Winnipeg

Winnipeg’s reputation as a city full of mosquitoes looked like it may have been going away, after a slow start this summer and low counts in recent years — but trap counts are up, and the city is starting its residential fogging program Thursday night.

The decision to launch the residential adult nuisance mosquito fogging program as based on a series of factors, including trap counts, which hit an average of 59 city-wide on Wednesday — moving the city’s adulticiding factor analysis (AFA) from ‘medium’ to ‘high.’

To meet the criteria of both the city and province to begin using pesticides, the AFA must be ‘high’, and the city-wide trap count must be at least 25 female mosquitoes for two consecutive nights, with one or more areas reporting at least 100 female adult mosquitoes.

During the fogging program, the city will put out daily announcements — at least eight hours in advance of fogging — letting the public know which areas are scheduled for the overnight (9:30 p.m. – 6:30 a.m.) runs.

Fogging will be cancelled if/when the temperature dips below 13 degrees, or if wind speeds make it impossible.

Winnipeggers can also register for an automated phone and email notification system, which will give them daily updates on mosquito control activities — and if you don’t want fogging to take place on your property, you can, as in past years, register as a buffer zone.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, buffer zone applications can’t be handled in person, and must be submitted via an online service request at 311, an email to 311@winnipeg.ca, a fax to 311, or in writing to the Insect Control Branch.