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
BREAKING NEWS Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
BREAKING New York appeals court overturns Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction from landmark #MeToo trial
New York’s highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein’s 2020 rape conviction, finding the judge at the landmark #MeToo trial prejudiced the ex-movie mogul with improper rulings, including a decision to let women testify about allegations that weren’t part of the case.
Residents of northern Alberta First Nation told to shelter in place
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
Metro Vancouver mayors call for serial killer Robert Pickton to be denied parole
A dozen mayors from around Metro Vancouver say federal Attorney General and Justice Minister Arif Virani should deny parole for notorious B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, and reassess the parole and sentencing system for 'prolific offenders and mass murderers.'