There sure has been a lot of buzzing this summer around Regina.
Rainfall in recent weeks has contributed to higher mosquito numbers in the Queen City, according to the most recent data collected by the City of Regina.
The City says they are seeing an average of 167 mosquitoes per trap per night this week.
It’s above the usual average for this time of year of 43 mosquitoes per trap.
Russell Eirich, the City’s manager of open space services, explained that while it’s a significant jump, it’s not unexpected.
“We had a fair bit of rain in the later period of July and we have seen overnight rain storms move through in August, so it’s not a surprise,” said Eirich during a media availability on Tuesday.
Despite the amount of precipitation the city has seen this summer, Eirich anticipates the increase won’t last for long.
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“I expect the numbers to go down. We’re probably peaking right about now. We should probably see (those numbers) decline and we are going to keep our mosquito program right until the middle of September like we do every year,” he added.
For residents worried about the above average numbers, Eirich said it could be worse.
“Our record count for this particular week is 1,719 mosquitoes per trap in 1993, so it’s 10 per cent of what it could be,” said Eirich. “In 2019, we were averaging about 350 mosquitoes per trap.”
He noted that city crews are still out seven days a week in order to help control the mosquito population as best as they can.
As for wasp numbers in the city, Eirich said what they are currently seeing is normal for this time of year.
He anticipates wasps will increase more in activity leading up to the Labour Day weekend.
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