Unusual bugs, and not many mosquitoes, appearing in Edmonton this summer: expert
Kimberly Wynn: Have you noticed more bugs flying around out there? Perhaps ones you've never noticed before in other years. It could have something to do with the weather. Here to explain is Loki Snyman, the Curator of the Invertebrate Zoology at Royal Alberta Museum. Let's start off with the booming population of aphids. Why is this happening this year?
Loki Snyman : Aphids have a very short life cycle and basically can respond very quickly to favourable weather. So, lots of moisture, lots of heat will lead to very, very quick booming populations. They can reproduce asexually, meaning they can produce clones and produce lots of aphids very, very quickly.
Kimberly: I hate seeing them in the garden and ladybugs are a natural way to get rid of aphids. How can we introduce them into our gardens?
Loki: Ladybugs and things like green lacewings are natural predators, and not keeping a very clean garden is often a very good way of attracting bugs to your garden. So, leaving a few wood piles and then perhaps not cleaning off all the leaf litter can lead to an increase in biodiversity in a garden.
Kimberly: We have a lot of moisture to start off the season. Then recently, this long heatwave as well, then a mild winter. What bugs are we seeing more as a result of these in this environment?
Loki: Personally, I'm seeing quite a lot of lice bugs, which is strange looking bugs, very tiny bugs, almost looking like walking rectangles. They've got flat wings and they overwinter as adults and mild winters tend to lead to more adults around in spring. I'm seeing a lot of green lacewings, which might be a result of the aphids that's around and ladybugs you'll see a lot now as well.
Kimberly: Horse flies as well. Correct?
Loki: Yes, horse flies there is a lot of and I've been hearing a lot about people complaining about horse flies. They like sunny weather, very persistent to find a bite and painful biters. So, when you're out and about outside the city, you'll probably encounter some. They do draw blood. So, they've got scissors that are like mouthparts and they can pierce your skin quite badly.
Kimberly: With all the wildfires happening, pine beetles have been a huge topic of conversation. Can you explain how they've kind of contributed to fueling the fires?
Loki: Firstly, forest fires that spread as quickly as what we've seen recently is mostly weather associated. So, that's going to be very hot, dry weather, high winds. Pine beetles can contribute to the death of large trees and large patches of forest and perhaps contribute to the available of fuel for fires. Dead trees, of course, burn.
Kimberly: What is going on with the mosquito population? I feel like I'm not getting bitten a lot, but why aren't we seeing too many of them around?
Loki: That's a good question. I was working with mosquitoes mostly and I'm sort of perplexed as to why we're not seeing more. We had a very mild winter and we've had quite a lot of precipitation, and I expected more. As a citizen, I'm not seeing that, but I'll have to retrospectively look at data to see whether it's just perception or whether that's really a drop in population levels.
Kimberly: I'm seeing a lot of wasps as well. How can we get rid of paper wasps and what are they actually?
Loki: Paper wasps are social groups, so basically, they've got a queen and workers. All the workers are sisters and they overwinter as adult queens. If you have mild winters, you'll have fewer deaths over winter and you'll probably have more wasps to start off in spring. What's very beneficial, they rip pests out of your garden, so basically catch caterpillars to feed their young. Getting rid of wasps, they're not really a bother, try and leave them alone. Otherwise, preferably call an expert to remove them.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec village preparing for 370 per cent hike in property taxes
Residents in the small Quebec village of Danford Lake may soon be priced out of their homes, as property valuations and taxes are set to skyrocket.
BREAKING James Earl Jones, acclaimed actor and voice of Darth Vader, dies at 93
James Earl Jones, who overcame racial prejudice and a severe stutter to become a celebrated icon of stage and screen — eventually lending his deep, commanding voice to CNN, 'The Lion King' and Darth Vader — has died. He was 93.
Alberta protesters get 6 1/2-year sentences for roles in Coutts border blockade
One of two men sentenced Monday to 6 1/2 years for firearms violations and mischief at the border blockade at Coutts, Alta., says the time he has already spent behind bars has changed him and his "solemn weapon” is now love.
The iPhone 16, new AirPods and other highlights from Apple's product showcase
Apple squarely shifted its focus toward artificial intelligence with the unveiling of its hotly anticipated iPhone 16 along with a slew of new features coming with the next update to the device’s operating system. While the new phone lineup headlined Monday's showcase, the tech giant also shared updates to its smartwatch and AirPod lineups.
John and Matthew Gaudreau are mourned by the hockey community, family and friends at their funeral
John and Matthew Gaudreau were remembered as loving brothers and husbands who put family above hockey and everything else at a tearful funeral held Monday, a week and a half after they died when they were struck by a suspected drunken driver while riding bicycles in their home state of New Jersey.
Health minister 'not worried' as Liberal MPs gather after tumultuous summer
Health Minister Mark Holland says he isn’t worried about Liberal electoral fortunes despite a tumultuous summer in which his party suffered a devastating byelection loss in Toronto, the party’s national campaign director resigned and the Liberal-NDP supply-and-confidence agreement collapsed.
BREAKING 'Peter Nygard is a sexual predator:' Former fashion mogul sentenced to 11 years in prison
Former Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. The sentence was handed to Nygard, 83, by Ontario Superior Court Justice Robert Goldstein in Toronto on Monday. Last November, a jury found Nygard guilty of four counts of sexual assault following a six-week trial.
Harvey Weinstein undergoes emergency heart surgery
Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was rushed to a hospital from a New York City prison on Sunday and underwent heart surgery on Monday, his representatives said.
Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney to join Liberal Party as special adviser
Former Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney will be joining the Liberal Party as a special adviser. In an official press release on Monday, the party says Carney will serve as the chair of a leader's task force on economic growth.