Mosquito control in Whitehorse may start as early as April 20

Spring is in the air in Whitehorse and soon, so could themosquitos.

The City of Whitehorse says mosquito control programscould start as early as April 20.

MatthewSiderwith the City of Whitehorse says the mosquito control program costs the city about $68,000 annually, which includes 12 hours of helicopter time and about 2,700 kilograms ofVectoBac.

This year is a couple of weeks ahead of schedule in terms of mosquito development, says Curtis Fediuk, president of D.G. Regan and Associates. His company has been doing mosquito control in the Yukon for decades.

Fediuksays his crews have already found some mosquito larvae starting to hatch.

Mosquitos pose no serious health threats toYukonersbutFediuksays keeping their numbers down reduces their nuisance and makeseconomicsense.

"If you operate a campground and nobody stays in your campground, you're out of business," he says.

AmandaStehelinoperates the Robert Service Campground on the Yukon River inWhitehorse and says she's barely had amosquito problem in 20 years.

"I'vehad bug spray for sale in the campground office for years and years and I hardly ever sell any," she says.

That wouldn't surpriseFediuk, who says its annual control programs play a big role in keeping mosquito numbers down.

He says suppression programsonly work if they're sustained, because mosquitoeggs can remain viablein the soil for 25 years.

"The [mosquito] population getssuppressedover time," he said. "So then what happens though if someone stops the program or they change it dramatically, all of a sudden the populations can rebound very quickly."

Fediuksays property owners can reduce mosquito breeding bygetting ridof shallow, standing water, by doing things such as filling in tire ruts.

He says the product used byRegan and Associates, a biologicallarvicide calledVectoBac, is safe for humans and animals.

His crews will soon be treating standing water in the city by hand and larger areas,including McIntyre Creek and the marsh behind Copper Ridge, by helicopter.