If you’ve been noticing more mosquitos than usual buzzing around it’s because there are thanks to our cold, wet spring.
“That was definitely looking more like a fall and winter weather pattern overall than a spring one,” said Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist Derek Lee.
While not everyone is a fan of the cool, wet weather, mosquitos are. The Capital Regional District says it’s seen an increase in the insects particularly around Island View Beach and it’s started mitigation work to try to stop the problem before it becomes worse.
The CRD is working with the Tsawout First Nation and the municipality of Central Saanich to fix up infrastructure, clear ditch obstructions, improve access to ditches, and maintain flapper gates.
“We’re doing everything we can to reduce the mosquito problem, we know it can be a health issue and that’s driving a lot of the concern,” said Wayne Helgason, public works manager with the Tsawout First Nation.
The First Nation has been working to fix its flapper gate system, which prevents ocean water during high tide from spilling into surrounding marsh areas. The wet weather has made fixing the system even more critical.
“With the moisture, we’ve had from the weather it’s kind of exacerbated that, the water that’s coming in is coming on top of wet soil so it’s pooling,” said Curtis Fediuk, a biology contractor with Duka Environmental Services.
And when that water spreads over the soil it causes the mosquito eggs to hatch. Fediuk says just one hectare can make anywhere from four million to 100 million of pesky insects.
The team is also using bacterial larvicide in large pools of standing water like irrigation ditches and salt marshes and light traps to see what species they’re dealing with so they can target their approach.
There’s one thing they’re hoping will come along to help in the uphill battle.
“Hot weather is the best thing you can have as far as mosquito control,” said Fediuk. “We need a little hot spell without forest fires and without 40-degree heat, 32 is enough,” he joked.
Unfortunately, that may be wishful thinking.
“This cooler period will kind of continue into our summer months, it’s likely that June will see those cold temperatures and showers continuing for sure,” said Lee.
READ MORE: Vancouver Island spring expected to have unpredictable weather patterns
April Lawrence
