Region of Waterloo kicks off larvicide program as mosquito season begins

Preparing for mosquito season Waterloo Region is taking steps to contain the mosquito population. Tyler Kelaher tells us how.

The Region of Waterloo is making an effort to keep the mosquito population under control.

They’re working with Pestalto, the environmental health services group, to administer larvicide to about 54,000 catch basins across local neighbourhoods.

“We’ll be treating those on a monthly basis throughout the summer,” Morgan Tyler, Pestalto’s director of operations, told CTV News on Wednesday.

While safe to people, pets and other insects, larvicide kills mosquitos by regulating their growth and keeping them from developing into adulthood.

“Not being able to become adults, they’re not able to go out and bite and reproduce,” Tyler explained.

The region’s aim is to limit the spread of West Nile virus through mosquito bites. Region of Waterloo Public Health says culex pipiens and culex restuans, two of the species found in Ontario, are known to carry the virus.

Rebecca Piovesan, the acting manager for public health, also said most people infected with the virus will be asymptomatic, but some will experience flu-like symptoms.

“Headaches, fever, fatigue, might have swollen glands, muscle aches. In very rare instances people can experience neurological symptoms,” she said.

The region has seen a decline cases of West Nile virus in people, with only two reported in 2021, one in 2022, and none in 2023.

On Wednesday, a bird in Halton Region tested positive for the West Nile virus.

Pestalto and her team will also be treating woodland pools, parks, ponds and other forms of standing water by monitoring the larvae in the water and applying larvicide to keep the mosquito population down.

Public Health said the spread can be controlled if everyone does their part.

“Take a look around your property, see if there’s any standing water,” Piovesan said. “It’s a community effort. I think we all have a part to play.”

She added that treated catch basins will all be marked with blue or green paint.