Mosquitoes are still swarming around Chilliwack and that’s prompted questions from the public about why there isn’t spraying to get rid of them.
“The FVRD does not conduct fogging or spraying of chemicals that kill flying adult mosquitoes,” according to an updated release by Fraser Valley Regional District this week.
In fact, there are no municipalities in the Lower Mainland that use fogging or spraying.
Instead they target them before they hatch with a bacterial larvacide.
FVRD’s mosquito control contractor, Morrow Bioscience, is busy monitoring, mapping, and treating breeding sites this summer.
The nuisance of biting mosquitoes should continue for at least another week or so.
“The past two years have produced lower than average populations of mosquitoes in the region,” said Stacey Barker, FVRD deputy director of regional programs.
Water levels hadn’t been this high since 2014. So with larval layering there are more bugs hatching.
“That means we have three years of mosquito larvae hatching in some areas, and even though we have effectively prevented 80 per cent of the larvae from hatching, that still leaves enough to be a nuisance.”
The message from the regional district is that it will be “continuing to monitor and treat nuisance mosquito larvae” that are found in areas of seepage and flood waters.
This is in addition to the aerial and ground level treatment already waged along the foreshore of the Fraser River.
The larvacide targets the buggers before they can fly.
“This bacterial larvacide is an effective and environmentally sensitive method of controlling nuisance mosquitoes without harming other species.”
Residents can help by removing possible breeding sites:
• Eliminate standing water;
• Chlorinate swimming pools;
• Empty and turn over children’s wading pools; and
• Cover rain barrels with fine mesh.
For mosquito control inquiries or to report mosquito breeding sites in the Fraser River corridor, please call the FVRD Mosquito Hotline at 1-888-733-2333 or send an email to: mosquitoes@fvrd.ca.