The low-flying pesky pests that hover overhead and strike in low light, are now amassing in larger numbers than before. They are collecting in nearby sloughs and eavestroughs, ready to hit any open flesh made available to them.
The mosquito population in southeast Saskatchewan is bound to increase, even though an ambitious and continual war is being fought against them in the Energy City.
Larry Doan of Southeast Tree Care, the company contracted by the City of Estevan to combat the nasty insects, said that all the water that collected within the city due to frequent spring and early summer rains, is now providing an excellent habitat for mosquitoes to lay their eggs and for the larvae to grow and emerge as fully grown mosquitoes in a tri-weekly cycle. These factors create additional challenges for the mosquito-fighting crews that are deployed in and around the city on a regular basis.
"We still have the city sectioned off in four pretty equal sectors and we attack the known habitat areas on a continual rotation. We can even visit a high risk area twice a week if we have to," said Doan.
New residential and industrial areas of the city haven't added any additional problems, he said since they all have efficient drainage plans built into their developments. However they do add a few acres to the overall plan.
"There is more water this year. It didn't all drain away, especially in the older sections of the city. Increased heat will leave us with a mess of mosquitoes. The evening numbers will be high," said Doan, suggesting that beginning on July 14, a new cycle of adult mosquitoes will be out and about seeking victims, according to the larvae count he and his team have been taking since early spring.
He said the usual warnings about needing to use repellents and wearing lighter clothing and being more fully dressed in early morning or evening, still holds true.
"We don't trap any adult mosquitoes, but we have dip nets to check on larvae and recently those counts were fairly low, but just recently, we've seen a much higher count and they'll be ready around Monday (July 14)," he warned.
Until this past weekend's high winds arrived to mess with the mosquito lifestyle, most conditions were working in their favour.
"You can't do much to fight the adult mosquito by using fogs and sprays without posing risks to other species like birds and animals. Controlling the larvae is still the best and only environmentally safe way to fight them back," he said.
The City of Estevan has been co-operating well this summer by getting water out of deep ditches and taking potential habitat away on City properties. Homeowners are urged to clean eavestroughs and remove any standing water on their own properties.
"It feels a little like 2011 again," said Doan, referring to the year that left the City and southeast Saskatchewan mired in post flood excess water and mud.
"We have saturated areas. Edges of ponds and sloughs are soft, which means we have to do some non-vehicle applications. As the water goes down we can get more equipment onto the site."
The surveys of the city for potential mosquito problems began in mid-March, Doan said. "We get to know what we have in the water. We checked them regularly and then some breeding grounds will dry up. We try to control the larvae numbers out of the water and we keep applying larvicides, even in windy conditions. Sometimes the wind helps us by blowing the larvicide into the water, while other times, it blows it away and reduces effectiveness. And it's okay because the larvicide is environmentally acceptable and is harmless to other species and humans. What it does is simply drown the larva before the mosquito can emerge."
An additional hazard this year, besides the additional water, is an unprecedented wood tic population.
"They're all over. We walk into our mosquito areas and when we come out, we'll have 30 or more tics on our legs after every cycle," said Doan. The mosquito fighters reduce their exposure to tics simply by tying up their pant legs with duct tape and covering up the rest of their body and then have another good check over after each deployment. Doan laughed and said that the anti-tic dog collars seem to work well too, so he advises them for pet owners, but wasn't so sure he and his employees would appreciate wearing them, but, on second thought, he said, "we've done dumber things."
He has appreciated the City's co-operation on the mosquito fighting front, Doan said, adding that they haven't questioned the frequencies and zone attack plans or tried to micro-manage the program.
"We'll keep at it until the temperatures change in the fall. Because mosquitoes work in three-week cycles, sometimes quicker, the program has to go on pretty well all summer."
In the meantime, risks of contracting the West Nile virus may be relatively low in the southeast. There is still evidence that the Culex tarsalis, the mosquito breed that carries the potentially deadly virus, is evident in south Saskatchewan.
There have been 154 identified cases of neuroinvasive disease, brought about by the Culex tarsalis that have probably contributed or directly resulted in 17 deaths since 2003.
Definite outbreaks of WNV infection were confirmed in 2003 and 2007.
The risk factor in southeast Saskatchewan remains low to medium, but continues to rise as the summer days become warmer for longer periods of time and the habitat conditions improve for the mosquito populations.
West Nile virus victims usually improve on their own with no need for medical attention, said Saskatchewan Deputy Chief Medical Health Officer, Dr. Denise Werker. "However, if you develop serious symptoms such as severe headaches, persistent high fever with stiff neck, confusion, seizures or paralysis, see a health care provider immediately."
Fighting Mosquitoes:
*Use appropriate insect repellent, products with DEET included.
* Cover up. Wear light-coloured, loose fitting, long-sleeved tops and long pants outdoors especially in early morning or early evening.
*Clear your yard of water collecting containers and regularly clean and empty birdbaths and eavestroughs.
*Cover rain barrels with mosquito screens or seal them at the downspout entry.
*Keep bushes, shrubs and lawns clear of overgrowth and debris.
*Ensure door and window screens are fitting tightly and are free of holes.
