Mosquitoes are a nuisance, have the potential to carry harmful diseases, and seem to be everywhere. We understand this, and would like to help.
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In Your Own Backyard
By taking some preventative measures on your own property, you will notice an impact on the mosquito population. Here are our recommendations on how you can decrease these pesky bugs.
Eliminate Standing Water
In the span of four days; several hundred mosquitoes can develop in only a quarter of an inch of calm water. By taking away this water, you will take away mosquito’s habitat, therefore prevent them from populating.
Here are tips on how to eliminate standing water:
- Empty, turn over or remove anything that can hold water for a week or longer.
- Drain eaves troughs or unused containers
- Keep eaves troughs free of debris so water cannot collect in them
- Cover rain water collection containers
- Fill in low lying areas where water accumulates
- Store children’s toys, that have potential to collect water, inside when not in use
- Clean and change bird baths weekly
- Install a circulating pump or add fish (goldfish, fat head minnows) to your ornamental pond
- Ensure drains are functioning properly on a flat roof
- Remove old tires or store them indoors so they cannot collect water
- Clean and remove accumulated water from pool covers
Put a Bat Box in Your Yard
Bats eat a large number of flying insects and are the main night time predator of mosquitoes. A single bat can eat between 600 and 1,200 mosquitoes an hour. Entice bats into your yard by providing them with a home.
You can build your own bat box or buy one at the County admin building for $30.
CO2 Traps
Mosquitos are attracted to CO2. You may want to consider purchasing a CO2 trap from a local hardware store.
Don't Get Bit!
Mosquitoes have the potential to ruin a nice summer evening by driving you crazy, and back into the safety of indoors. Here are some tips you can do to protect yourself, indoors and outdoors, against the tiny annoyances:
- Wear long sleeved shirts and long pants that are and loose fitting. The loose clothing provides 'depth' so that mosquitoes cannot reach the skin to bite.
- Apply an insect repellent that contains DEET. (DEET is not recommended for children under the age of 6 months.) Always follow label instructions and take special care when applying to children. (See Health Canada information on DEET)
- Reduce outdoor activity where mosquitoes are abundant and active. This will be in heavily vegetated areas and on days that are calm and humid, particularly near sunrise and sunset.
- Make sure all doors and windows fit properly and have tight-fitting, fine mesh screens.
- Make sure all your door and window screens are in good shape. Use screened windows and doors as opposed to wide open ones that allow insects (including mosquitoes) to enter.
- Cover baby carriages and strollers with fine mesh netting to protect infants.
Programs in Langdon
The Fight the Bite program aims to reduce the mosquito populations using safe methods while protecting our natural spaces.
- The County will carefully monitor the mosquito population on County lands in Langdon from May-September by monitoring larvae.
- Inspections will take place to determine standing water locations
- If mosquito larvae numbers are above threshold levels, the County will commence a larvaciding control program within the areaboundaries.
Three stages of program:
- Identify “hot spots” where significant larvae populations exist
- Apply larvacide
- Monitor, reapply when necessary
What is Larvaciding?
Larvaciding is the most efficient and effective means of controlling mosquitoes through targeted means. Mosquito larvae are concentrated at water surfaces, which make them at the most vulnerable stage of the mosquito life cycle. By targeting mosquito larvae, we are reducing the future presence of high adult mosquito populations.
- Treatments within the program area will involve the direct application of biologically based larvacide.
- Larvacide will be applied to pools of standing water where mosquitoes lay their eggs.
- The application kills the mosquito larvae while having little or no impact on other life forms.
- The product will be applied in a granular form directly to the water surface, thereby eliminating drift.
- Certified applicators will administer larvacide to identify standing water locations on public property such as drainage ditches and swales.
It is important to note that this program will not eradicate all mosquitoes. It is meant to help reduce the numbers. Application of larvacide is only one component in the program. Everyone has to make an effort to reduce standing water in their yards.
Larvacide Fact Sheet (PDF)
To learn more about mosquitoes, visit the Province’s website.
~Some information courtesy the City of Calgary, City of Winnipeg and Health Canada