May mosquito counts nearly double 10-year average for Saskatoon
The City of Saskatoon’s mosquito counts are up this May, but it’s still too early to tell how many will invade this summer.
According to the City of Saskatoon’s website, the 2023 average number of mosquitos caught between May 21 and 27 was 1.29, compared with 0.05 for last year’s average and 0.67 for the 10-year average.
“We've been seeing a lot of hot days with a lot of storms and rain,” City of Saskatoon entomologist Sydney Worthy told CTV News.
“The humidity also has an impact on that. And for our traps, there can be a little bit of bias if it's really windy or not. If it's really windy, they don't tend to make it to the traps.”
Worthy said there has been less wind, which could mean more mosquitos caught in the traps.
She said the counts in May could signify a “little uptick before it slows down.”
“We'll have to kind of wait and see.”
Worthy said the weather in the next few weeks will play a role in how many mosquitos people can expect.
“It does look like we are coming into an El Nino event later in the summer and that should make things hotter and drier, which should make it harder for mosquitoes to get those high population numbers we've seen in the past.”
However, the amount of rain the city has seen in May could prove to be ideal for breeding, Worthy said.
“We do seem to be getting a bit more rain than we've gotten the last few years right now here in May. So that is going to have an uptick in numbers with the rain and the heat and humidity, things like that that they'll really do well in.”
Whether there are lots or few mosquitos, Worthy said there were some things that people can do including covering up and watching for standing water in their yard where mosquitoes may be breeding.
Worthy said for the May count, the city used New Jersey Light Traps that have an incandescent light bulb to attract mosquitos.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.