Edmonton's dry weather a factor in lower mosquito count: expert
If you have noticed fewer mosquitos than normal while out on a stroll in Edmonton’s river valley, it's largely due to the lack of precipitation, an expert says.
Weather conditions this spring have been hot and dry, making the environment less suitable for mosquitos, according to Pest Management Coordinator for the City of Edmonton Mike Jenkins. He said the lack of rain has resulted in a delayed need for the mosquito patrol program.
“This season has been one of our strangest in terms of mosquito population. This has been the second year in 40 something years we haven’t had a spring program,” said Jenkins.
Edmonton has close to 30 different types of mosquitos but both the spring and summer pests have been fewer in count. At the moment, the program has completed very little ground treatment and is undecided on whether the helicopter will be used for aerial treatment targeting mosquito heavy areas.
“We have just begun to see the first mosquitos of the season starting to emerge,” he said, adding the spring mosquitos are very low in number and he is not expecting more.
“Typically we need about 30 to 40 milimetres to really trigger a substantial widespread hatch of mosquitos,” he said.
With July nearing, Jenkins says Edmontonians might start to see more of the summer mosquito, which he describes as small and stealthy – the kind that nip your ankle.
For Scott Adams, an Edmonton resident who enjoys exercising outside, he said the lack of mosquitos is a positive.
“Considering we’ve been inside for how many months. We want to get out and the last thing we want is to be shoved back in because the mosquitos are outside,” he said.
Although the pesky insects may be seen as a nuisance, they are important an important species.
“Mosquitos are a good food source for a lot of other organisms so they have an important role in the ecosystem. They are also pollen eaters,” said Jenkins.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.