Mosquito numbers down in Saskatoon

August long weekend has many people outdoors, enjoying events like Ribfest and the Fringe Festival without being annoyed by many mosquitoes.

According to the superintendent of urban forestry and pest management, Michelle Chartier, the low mosquito numbers are due to a lack of moisture in the Saskatoon area.

“They’re trending a little lower than they would on the 10-year average,” said Chartier.

The city’s weekly mosquito counts show that last week the Nutana Park area had the most mosquitoes.

However, Chartier said things can change pretty quickly in the heat and with moisture levels.

He added that culex tarsalis, the type of mosquitoes that carry and transmit the West Nile virus, are in season right now and starting to show up in some of the traps.

Chartier said using mosquito repellent and wearing long-sleeved clothing are two of the best ways to protect against it.

“In their own yards, what we would recommend is to remove standing water from your property,” Chartier said.

This is because they use standing water like uncovered backyard pools and eaves troughs as breeding grounds.

These preventative measures, coupled with refraining from being outdoors in peek mosquito times, will help reduce your chance of contracting West Nile and their breeding sites, according to Chartier.

Peak times are early morning and in the evenings.

The first signs of contracting West Nile are flu like symptoms.