Mosquitoes at a 4-year high in Saskatoon, city entomologist says
If it feels like there are more mosquitoes this year, it’s because there are, according to the City of Saskatoon’s entomologist.
“More heat does mean that the mosquitoes develop faster, and there's still lots of water for those guys to develop in,” said Sydney Worthy, entomologist.
“Even though the heat will help to evaporate some of that water, there's still enough that there's probably going to be an increase in the mosquitoes, at least for the foreseeable future,” she said.
And the bugs are proving a real nuisance to Saskatoon residents.
“It's really, really, really bad. I got bit the other day, and it really marks up your skin. I think this year it's really bad,” said Jackie Daynos, who was out enjoying some ice cream at River Landing on Wednesday.
The city sets up traps and measures the number of female mosquitoes they catch to determine the numbers each week.
In the last week, each trap they have is averaging 68 female mosquitoes per night. That compares to the four-year average of only 21 females per trap.
As a recent comparison, last year, each trap caught only 4.1 females per night.
It’s been a busy year for Worthy and her team.
“It creates, obviously, a lot more work for us. We are out there doing larvicide treatments, so it targets the larval stages. We don't do any adult fogging or anything like that,” Worthy said.
One of the big concerns with mosquitoes in recent years is whether they carry the West Nile Virus
“So far, the pools that have been tested by the province have been negative. So they haven't found any positive West Nile Virus in our pools in the city,” she says.
That could changes as the summer goes on. The mosquito population is expected to stay high, and could go up if the hot and humid conditions continue.
It’s recommended to keep the sunscreen out, bug repellent, handy, and wear long pants and long sleeves where possible.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.7021823.1725146389!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
Trudeau, steel plant worker have heated exchange during Sault Ste. Marie visit
After meeting with transit workers and the local mayor on Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau continued his visit to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., where he canoed down St. Marys River and hosted a meet and greet at a local steel plant.
Johnny Gaudreau's widow, Meredith, remembers husband in heartfelt social media posts
The widow of Johnny Gaudreau called her husband 'the absolute best dad in the world' and thanked him for 'the best years of my life' in two Instagram posts shared Saturday.
More people than ever are eating alone at restaurants. This is why
The stigma of single dining has faded as more people live alone than ever before. Today, more people are making reservations for one.
Police charge 18 drivers for filming crash site on Hwy. 401
Ontario Provincial Police were busy on Saturday morning issuing tickets to distracted drivers allegedly using their phones to film a serious crash on Highway 401 in eastern Ontario.
49ers Ricky Pearsall shot by attackers during attempted robbery, in stable condition
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Ricky Pearsall was shot Saturday during an attempted robbery, the city's mayor said.
Orangutan swung in 'cartwheel-like motion' before climbing down tower to escape: Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo says it has learned how one of its orangutans escaped from its enclosure earlier this week.
Man charged after alleged 'indecent act' in family shower area at Toronto pool
A 35-year-old Toronto man is facing charges after allegedly 'committing an indecent act' in the family shower area of a public pool.
A Norwegian princess marries an American self-styled shaman in front of a star-studded audience
Social media influencers, reality stars and TV personalities were among the guests as the Norwegian king's eldest child, Princess Martha Louise, married an American self-professed shaman on Saturday in a wedding ceremony following three days of festivities.
Rapper Fatman Scoop dies at 53 after collapsing on stage in Connecticut
Fatman Scoop, the rapper who topped charts in Europe with 'Be Faithful' in the early 2000s and later lent his distinctive voice and ebullient vibe to hits by such artists as Missy Elliott and Ciara, died after collapsing on stage at a show in Connecticut, according to officials and his family.