City to resume mosquito fogging tonight

City fogging crews will hit the streets tonight to finish where they left off Saturday night.

High winds forced crews to suspend fogging early last night but weather permitting, they’re be back out, tackling the south, east and west ends of the city.

The city’s insect control branch conducts mosquito fogging between 9:30 p.m. and 6:30 a.m. Environment Canada called for the risk of a thunderstorm late this afternoon with the wind dying down afterward.

Fogging trucks are due to finish up in the south end from Niakwa Place in the east to Assiniboine Downs in the west.

To spray or not to spray

Debbie Lynch says she used to run after the fogging truck in her neighbourhood when she was a child.

She remembers it smelled like diesel.

Years later, she said she's still happy to see the malathion-spraying trucks roll by, as it means she'll be able to enjoy her gardening a little more.

Lynch lives in the Maples, which, like most other neighbourhoods in the city, gets fogged when the city-wide mosquito trap count grows high enough.

Battle against skeeters a little behind schedule

Mosquito fogging in Winnipeg is behind schedule thanks to inclement weather overnight.

The City of Winnipeg’s insect control branch said today it was not able to complete fogging in all the scheduled insect-management areas of southwest Winnipeg.

Today, weather permitting, fogging will take place in insect management areas 18, 21, 23, 24, 27 and 29. Upon completion, crews will fog in Insect Management Areas 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17, and 19.

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City to start mosquito fogging in southwest quadrant tonight

It’s hopefully the beginning of the end for Winnipeg’s bloody battle with mosquitoes.

The city will begin adult nuisance mosquito fogging at 9:30 p.m. in the southwest quadrant of the city.

Trap counts in the southwest area have been substantially higher than in other neighbourhoods. Yesterday, trap counts in Assiniboine Park registered 3,552 mosquitoes. The lowest trap count came from the RM of Macdonald where a single mosquito was counted.

The average trap count in the city has hovered just above 200 in the last couple of days.

Multiple methods for fighting mosquitoes

QUESTION: I tried your Listerine-based mosquito repellent and felt it was not strong enough, so I tripled the Listerine involved, as none of the ingredients should really cause any side-effects. It was better, yet still not as good as a DEET-based spray. My dog had 50-plus skeeters on him, and I had maybe eight, which is eight too many. Is it OK to add more juice, so to speak? Any ideas on how to make it more potent? Love your information, keep it up! George (Lorette, MB)

ANSWER: Excellent questions, George. Isn't it funny how two people can sit outside, and one is bit multiple times while the other person doesn't receive one bite? That's because our bodies give off different scents, which is why some products work great for one person and are useless to another.

-- DEET is the most common remedy used to deter mosquitoes, but not everyone chooses to use such a strong chemical on their skin. Units emitting DEET are now available to wear on the outside of clothing.

Where are Winnipeg’s buffer zones?

The map below displays buffer zone registration in Winnipeg in 2013 by rate -- that is, by the number of buffer zones per 1,000 dwellings.  Click on any area to see the total number of registrations for each area.

Can't see the map below? Try viewing it in a new window.

Mosquito fogging to begin in the city’s southwest

Adult nuisance mosquito fogging will begin tonight.

Ken Nawolsky, Winnipeg’s insect control superintendent, announced 24 hours public notice Friday before fogging is expected to begin in the southwest quadrant of the city where the highest mosquito-trap counts have been registered.

The city will confirm the whereabouts of its first fogging activities at noon today.

A whopping 3,552 mosquitos were counted in Assiniboine Park Friday, which bumped the average of city trap counts up significantly and helped spur the fogging season.

Best and worst skeeter years

Feel like you're slapping yourself more than you usually do?  You might be -- but it's not so bad when you look at the peak weekly average trap counts for the last three decades.

The graph below shows the best and worst skeeter summers since 1982, according to data provided by the City of Winnipeg.

The latest buzz on skeeter relief

Recent rainfall in Winnipeg has triggered an automatic mosquito fear response in some people.

This default setting summons the usual call for the city larvicide and fogging programs to be put into full effect immediately. Closer to home, a checklist of items needed to enjoy a backyard barbecue without the bite-slap-bite appetizer suddenly surfaces. It reads something like this:

Bug repellent? Check.

Citronella candles? Got ’em.

Key of Bart: Smells Like Malathion

Bartley Kives samples Nirvana's 90's grunge superhit Smells Like Teen Spirit in this song about Winnipeg's seemingly inevitable date with a malathion fogging truck.

Six mosquito facts

The battle for our blood has yet to fully start in Winnipeg, but while people prepare for scratching, slapping and spraying, here are some lesser-known facts about the blood-sucking pests.

THEY COST THE CITY MILLIONS — The city’s 2014 budget has allocated about $7.6 million for insect control, which includes larvicide and fogging and dealing with infestations of the emerald ash borer.THEY CAN BE DEADLY, BUT RARELY — Culex tarsalis mosquitoes can carry the West Nile virus, which can sometimes be deadly, especially for those already weakened by age or sickness. But it’s rare in Manitoba. One man in his 80s died in 2013, and before that the last death was in 2008. In 2010 and 2011, there were no reported cases of the virus in humans in Manitoba.THEY BIDE THEIR TIME — Mosquito eggs can lie dormant in the soil for up to seven years. They’ll hatch once they come in contact with surface ground water, but if things aren’t wet enough, they’ll sit it out until the weather is more favourable.THEY LIKE BEER DRINKERS — An international study found mosquitoes are more attracted to people who drink beer than those who drink just water. Typically, mosquitoes find targets through the odour of breath and skin. Having beer breath might make them more likely to choose you.THEY DON’T ACTUALLY FEED OFF BLOOD — Female mosquitoes don’t get any nourishment from the blood they suck. Instead, they use the protein for the eggs they lay. When they feed, both male and female mosquitoes prefer nectar and other plant sugars.IT’S NOT THAT BAD — The summers of 2011 and 2012 were relatively mosquito-free, whereas the summers of 1993 and 1991 were among the worst in the last three decades with peak weekly average trap counts of 926 and 781, respectively. 

— Oliver Sachgau

City to step up mosquito fight

Winnipeg's larviciding crews will be working 18-hour days over the next week to combat what could be a huge emergence of mosquitoes.

Ken Nawolsky, the city's insect control branch superintendent, said the weekend rains have revived mosquito eggs that have been dormant for the past three to five years.

"We're putting all our forces out there," Nawolsky said Tuesday. "We're trying to do our best and fight this battle that we have with this significant amount of rain."

Nawolsky said there is a large amount of standing water on private property, adding property owners need to drain the water or treat it to prevent the emergence of mosquitoes.

Winnipeg’s new bug boss defends his qualifications

City hall was in a defensive mode this afternoon as it defended hiring a non-entomologist to run its insect control branch for the first time.

Ken Nawolsky was formally introduced Thursday as the insect control branch superintendent — a position created after former entomologist Taz Stuart left the city in the fall under mysterious circumstances.

“Some have asked, is (Nawolsky) an entomologist,” parks manager Dave Domke said as he began the news conference. “Knowledge in the field of entomology is one requirement of the position. Ken has that knowledge and background.

“Ken has the necessary experience and skill to lead the great team of people undertaking this important work at the insect control branch.”

Ken Nawolsky returns to insect control branch, this time as top boss

City hall promoted an employee from its finance department to head the insect control branch.

A civic spokeswoman confirmed this afternoon that Ken Nawolsky is the new superintendent of the insect control branch — a position that was recently created after the unexpected departure of the unit’s former boss.

The insect control branch traditionally has been headed by individuals with a formal background as scientists and entomologists.

Nawolsky replaces city entomologist Taz Stuart, who left the city under mysterious circumstances in the fall, after he had been suspended.