Bug populations are booming in Edmonton because of the recent onslaught of rain. The moisture has made the city the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. City of Edmonton biological science technician Mike Jenkins says large swathes of them will soon start looking for “blood meals.” “The recent precipitation we’ve had has filled up a lot of temporary habitats, low-lying areas, temporary ponds all around the city,” he told CTV News Edmonton. “(It’s) activated the eggs, so the eggs are now hatching, and we’re seeing development of the larvae.” City crews are out working in roadside ditches to reduce the number of mosquitoes as they develop in an effort to reduce population peaks. Mosquito behaviour gets more aggressive when it’s warm and muggy, he added. “We can actually get mosquitoes coming in from a larger distance away. They get attracted by the city lights and drawn in from outside of the city.” Edmonton is still not muggy or hot enough to welcome high populations of ticks, which are rarely sighted in the area regardless but stay monitored by officials. Tent caterpillars, however, are bugging some. Shannon Gadwa says her pest control company is seeing more calls to remove them this year as this is peak boom season for them. While the crawlers don’t cause long-term damage to trees, they may eat away at leaves. “There’s not a lot of prevention you can do, unfortunately. They prefer broad-leaf trees, so if you have poplars, aspens, they’re going to favour those,” she said. “If you see a large nest, I would recommend treating it right away.” Pest control companies like hers may use chemical options, but Edmontonians are also able to pick the critters off trees or use soapy water for smaller populations. “(But) the worst thing they’re going to do is de-foliate your tree, and it’s going to be ugly for the rest of the summer.” Jenkins says you can help reduce mosquito populations by removing any free-standing water in your yard. Wearing long sleeves, long pants or using an oscillating fan would also reduce the number of bites Edmontonians may suffer in the coming weeks. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Curtis Goodrum
