City no longer trapping mosquitoes, but larvicide program continues

While the City of Moose Jaw is no longer trapping mosquitoes to gauge their population, they continue to have their larvicide program to hit hotspots around the city. 

The city used to trap mosquitos when West Nile Virus was an issue in a program funded by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.  

“This actually is the first year in a very long time they have cancelled all the smaller communities of trapping mosquitoes, so now they are just using Regina and Saskatoon,” said City of Moose Jaw Parks Supervisor Daily Lennox. 

The Culex tarsalis species of mosquitos carries the West Nile Virus. However, cases have been on a decline in the province with only one human case in 2021 and no fatalities since 2018. 

While the city is no longer trapping mosquitos, the city’s Parks and Recreation Department still goes out once per week to administer larvicide to hotspots of known areas that can accumulate standing water. 

“We might not hit all the sites in one week, but the larvicide itself stays in place for usually two weeks, so as long as we're hitting at least half the sites every week, we're hitting everything,” Lennox said. 

Some tips to help control the mosquito population, for those with bird baths, drain the water once a week and refill it with fresh water. Also, drain any standing water that you may find in your yard. 

“We don't treat the creeks. Mosquitoes aren’t an issue when it comes to moving water or really deep water. They like shallow water that isn't moving, it's stagnant, shallow ponds. That's where they like to lay their eggs,” Lennox said. 

Finally, make sure you are maintaining your lawn. Tall grass can often hide standing water and adult mosquitoes can often be found in tall grass to stay cool. Don’t want to get bitten by mosquitoes? Try wearing lighter-coloured clothing as they are attracted to dark colours. 

If you see any standing water on city property or any areas where you are concerned about mosquitoes contact the City of Moose Jaw or put in a request for service through the City of Moose Jaw app.