Winnipeg, MB – Our annual efforts to keep those pesky mosquitoes from sucking the fun out of summer is now underway.
Crews began our proactive mosquito larviciding program this morning. Larviciding is the
most effective approach to control mosquitoes. It targets mosquito larvae in the aquatic stage before they emerge as adult mosquitoes.
“The snow has melted and spring rains are occurring which means mosquito season is here,” said David Wade, Superintendent of Insect Control. “Now our job is to target larvae that are already hatching in ditches and low-lying areas to control the population before it grows.”
This season’s mosquito control program will continue to be based on an environmentally mindful strategy.
It will include:
- A 100% biorational larviciding program using ground equipment and four helicopters
- Monitoring and treating over 28,000 hectares of water area on an ongoing basis based on weather conditions
- Monitoring for adult nuisance mosquitoes in New Jersey Light Traps with the first trap counts posted on May 8, 2024 on the Insect Control website
- Adult mosquito treatments as required
Adult mosquito treatment would only be initiated if the requirements of the City policy, the AFA Guidelines, and the Provincial Pesticide Use Permit are met.
- We will conduct any required adult nuisance mosquito control using DeltaGard 20EW®
- We will prioritize areas with highest nuisance mosquito populations and respect any buffer zones in place
- We will notify the public 24 hours ahead of any fogging activities and provide daily updates on where treatment will occur that night
Larviciding with helicopters
In accordance with Transport Canada’s Civil Aviation Division, our contractor operates under a low flight waiver to apply larvicides at low altitudes.
When larviciding is occurring above places where people congregate (like athletic fields, larger parks, golf courses, etc.), we will close the area to the public for the duration of our treatment as well as 20 minutes before and after.
We will try to minimize disruption to the public by posting signage approximately 24 hours in advance of any planned treatment. We will also treat these in early morning and using longer lasting larvicides to limit the number of applications required over the season.
Buffer zones
Buffer zones make it so we can’t apply DeltaGard within 90 metres of a specific property.
Residents can apply for a buffer zone adjacent to their principal residence. Applications must include a letter and photo ID linking you to the address in question. They can be submitted:
- Via an online service request
- By emailing 311@winnipeg.ca
- By fax to 311
- In writing to the Insect Control Branch at 3 Grey Street, Winnipeg MB R2L 1V2
- In-person at 1539 Waverley St.
A minimum 72-hour turnaround time is required.
Do your part
We also encourage residents to stop skeeters from multiplying on private properties. People can eliminate standing water by following our #draindumpcover protocol:
- Drain water from eavestroughing or unused containers
- Dump standing water from containers like wheelbarrows, bird baths, and kiddy pools when they aren’t in use
- Cover rainwater collection containers and undrainables like larger pools and water tables
Residents can also fill low-lying areas where water pools and treat their properties with commercially available pesticides.
Register for notification
We provide an automated daily telephone and email notification system for insect control activities. Residents can register online or by contacting 311.
For more information, visit winnipeg.ca/insectcontrol