U of M researcher looking at ways to control mosquito population

A University of Manitoba researcher is looking into ways to control the mosquito population without using pesticides.

A University of Manitoba researcher is studying ways to help control the mosquito population to help reduce the spread of disease around the world.

Steve Whyard, a professor of biological sciences at the university, examined two methods to try and put a dent in the mosquito population.

“What I’m interested in is finding different ways to control mosquitoes without the use of pesticides,” Whyard said during a recent interview, adding his goal is to help reduce diseases spread by mosquitoes, such as yellow fever.

One method he has found some success with is growing sterile mosquitoes in a lab and then releasing them, with the goal of disrupting reproductive cycles.

“What you’re looking to see is a population decline, because the females are not producing any fertilized eggs, and so you will see a localized population crash,” Whyard said, noting populations are able to bounce back.

Another method Whyard is studying is creating new repellents to block a mosquito’s sense of smell.

“We’re looking at all of those combinations and finding out which ones we can redesign a new molecule to block their receptors,” he said.

Whyard noted the repellent studies are ongoing.

Winnipeg seeing low mosquito activity

Winnipeggers are currently dealing with a quieter year for mosquito activity.

City of Winnipeg trap counts remain low as of Monday, and the threshold to begin mosquito control measures has not been met.

Whyard said there is a simple explanation for this.

“It was a rather dry spring and a dry winter, so we didn’t have a lot of standing water,” he said.

“So a lot of the species that benefit from those little puddles and temporary water sites were dried up, and they really need the water to reproduce.”