WINNIPEG -- Mosquitoes have made an unwelcome summer return to areas in and around Winnipeg.

As of July 5, the city’s traps were showing a daily average of 25. The numbers are high enough for the city to initiate a fogging program, also known as ‘adulticiding’, to control the adult population. 

The city typically begins its larviciding program in April, but efforts by ground and helicopter crews have picked up lately due to warm, wet weather over the last few weeks.

Ken Nawolsky is the city’s superintendent of insect control. He said the city has been able to mobilize extra larviciding efforts in and around the city after major rainfall events, but significant numbers of the full-grown pests are still being noticed.

“A lot of that has been due to the prevailing winds that we had in June which kind of blew in mosquitoes from outside our control zone. But we did a bit of a fogging program on the weekend, and we’ve already noticed a big decrease in the mosquito counts, “ said Nawolsky.

Nawolsky said larviciding is the city’s primary means of controlling mosquitoes. He says that means spraying larvicidal agents on bodies of water, marshes, and swampy areas to disrupt the bugs’ seven-to-ten day cycle of maturation.

“If the program is unsuccessful, then you will see adult mosquitoes, but larviciding is our primary job, “ Nawolsky said.

He added if fogging becomes necessary, residents can track the city’s response by neighbourhood on their website. It’s also possible through the website or via 311, for residents to request their properties not be sprayed within a 90 metre no-spray zone.

HOMEOWNERS ASKED TO DO THEIR PART IN THE BUG BATTLE

The city launched an awareness campaign three years ago called “The Agents of S.W.A T.,” which stands for Standing Water Action Team. Nawolsky said homeowners are on the frontlines in the mosquito fight because they’re in the best position to watch their properties for standing water, which is prime mosquito breeding ground.

“Approximately 50 per cent of mosquitoes will develop in residential yards which we don’t have access to, so we’re hoping people will look at the various things in their backyard to help to reduce the mosquitoes in their neighbourhood. Anything that holds water for at least seven days is a prime location for mosquitoes to lay their eggs," said Nawolsky.

He said uncovered rain barrels, clogged eavestroughs, low-lying areas, and other places where water accumulates need to be checked and if necessary, drained weekly. 

The city’s website has links to the Agents of S.W.A.T. tips and checklists.

-with files from CTV's Katherine Dow.