Spike in mosquito population recorded in Regina

The number of blood-sucking mosquitoes in the Queen City has spiked.

While people in Regina may have had a fairly calm summer so far when it comes tomosquitoes buzzing around their barbecues and beach blankets, that's likely to change.

"We have been warning residents that mosquitoes are on their way and they arrived this weekend," said Russell Eirich, Regina's manager of forestry, pest control and horticulture.

On Monday, Eirich told reporters the number of mosquitoes being collected in the city's traps jumped substantially.

At the end of last week, Regina was still seeing numbers well below average, with about five mosquitoes per trap compared to the historical average of 39 per trap.

But on Sunday night, 106 of the blood-sucking bugs were recorded in one night up from the usual average of 70, usually collected over the course of four days.

Eirich said a combination of warm weather and rain since June 19 has created perfect conditions for mosquitoes to breed. Environment Canada recorded88 millimetresof rainin Regina during that time.

He said the city is doing what it can to combat the pesky bugs, already using 10,000 pounds of a special bacterial agent called VectoBac.

"That amount of product treats approximately 575 CFL-sized football fields," he said. "That's how much standing water that we've treated over the last three weeks."

The product kills mosquito larvae in ponds, lakes, sloughs, ditches and puddles, but Eirich stressed Regina residents have a role to play too, drainingstanding water from their property.

"A single pail of water in a backyard can breed up to 1,000 mosquitoes," he said.

In Saskatoon, the number of mosquitoes recorded in traps is still much lower than the 10-year average;from June 30 to July 6, only 0.88 mosquitoes had been recorded, compared to the 10-year average of 38.93.

Eirich saysresidents are advised to wear light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing to prevent mosquito bites, adding they should also avoid peak mosquito times, about30 minutes before and after sunset.

More information about mosquitoes can be found on the City of Regina's website.