Warm spring temperatures are normally a precursor to large numbers of mosquitoes in the Calgary area but a warm May is following an unseasonably cool April and that's making for a moderate population of the insect.
The city has started research on mosquito larvae in seasonal ponds and sitting water. The integrated pest management department says so far this year, they are not seeing an overwhelming amount of larvae.
Early in the season, when it's still cool at night, it takes larvae up to 21 days to mature into adult mosquitoes.
The city’s technicians are out counting larvae to determine if any control measures need to be initiated.
Although current conditions are expected to keep the mosquito count low, that could change in a short amount of time.
“You know to be perfectly honest, forecasting the mosquito population is akin to forecasting the weather,” says the City of Calgary’s James Borrow. “If we have continued dry weather, typical spring temperatures, all those seasonal ponds and pools are going to start drying up, and most of that first hatch is going to be lost.”
Mosquito eggs can survive for years in the muddy banks of a pond and a wet month of June could lead to a large number of hatchings.
With files from Kevin Fleming
