They’re small. They want your blood. And their numbers are increasing in B.C. We’re talking about mosquitos and a warning, as those living in the province could be in for a rough season.
Daniel Peach, an assistant professor of Vector Ecology and Infectious Disease at the University of Georgia and president of the Biological Survey of Canada, says things could be worse than in previous years, depending on where you live.
“One thing that could be happening is more urban mosquitos,” explained Peach. “So, in cities and towns, we could be seeing more mosquitos than we did previously, and in part, this is because they’re an invasive species that have been arriving in the last decade or so that are getting more and more abundant.”
Peach says there are more than 50 different species of mosquitos in B.C. and there’s a chance more of their tiny, annoying friends could be on their way to the province as we’re expecting more hot summers in the future, thanks in big part, to climate change.
The former post-doctoral fellow at UBC says it’s going to be hard to avoid them regardless of where you live, and the weather is a big factor, as mosquitos thrive in standing water and in warm temperatures.
“The other element that people can be picking up on is floodwater mosquitos. These are mosquitos that breed in water from flooding rivers or even snow that melts and the water accumulates in low-lying areas and so when water levels rise, these mosquitos will make use of these temporary habitats to have a boom of numbers.
“When we have warm weather, these species can do very, very well and… produce multiple generations very quickly, which can lead to an increase in numbers.”
Peach does point out there is a silver lining to all of this.
“In those same warmer temperatures will lead to greater populations of predatory insects that might help control some of these mosquitos as well. But something to keep in mind, is while we’re having warm weather, it’s fairly dry out there and adult mosquitos don’t tend to like dryness very much, so it means once they’re in the adult stage they might die off a bit sooner than they otherwise would have.”
If you want to avoid an itchy summer, he suggests using insect repellent and wearing light-coloured clothing when you’re outside because they’re attracted to dark-coloured clothing. Consider putting screens on your windows, doors, and on your porch or deck.
Peach says it’s also important to get rid of any standing water on your property, including everything from a crumpled tarp with some pooling rainwater to clogged gutters.
source:CityNews photo:Pixabay
