Heavy and prolonged rains have brought more mosquitoes To lower mainland Over the past year, two mosquito observers have told Global News.
Ryan Wood of the pest control company Orkin Canada and Sean Calver of Morrow Bioscience Ltd. say both of their mosquito control programs are buzzing this summer.
“Last year was pretty mild with the amount of heat we got and how dry everything was,” Wood explained.
“With the amount of rain, later puddles and swamps — even the amount of moisture in your backyard — this has been an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes this year.”
Moro Bioscience Limited, an environmental monitoring service provider, operates a mosquito hotline For residents of Coquitlam, Langley, Surrey, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Richmond. The line has been particularly busy this year, Calver said.
“The hot spots are Fort Langley, Walnut Grove and Maple Ridge,” he told Global News. “It’s directly related to the higher-than-normal Fraser River.”
High throughput this season means there is a higher concentration of mosquitoes and mosquito eggs every time Morrow Bioscience Ltd treats the area by hand or by helicopter. Calver said three different mosquitoes have been born on three river peaks this year.
To protect yourself from being bitten, Calver recommends wearing bug spray and light clothing with DEET. Wood also recommends thermocouples and several preventative options to avoid attracting mosquitoes to the home.
“How wet it has gotten, many people haven’t been able to mow their lawns often enough, so you get tall grass, you grow out of control—the perfect crop area for mosquitoes,” he said. “Cold, damp, under the grass where the sun can’t reach them.”
He suggests trimming the lawn, pulling out weeds and eliminating any pools in the backyard, including watering saucers in potted plants or under bird feeders.
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