There will soon be more mosquitoes in Prince Albert thanks to a rainy few weeks. (ID 11660379 © Ivanov Arkady | Dreamstime.com)

By Rob Mahon

More Mosquitoes

Mosquito population soon to rise in wetter weather

Jun 21, 2022 | 12:00 PM

People might be slapping at their arms and legs a little more often recently, as mosquitoes are becoming more common in the Prince Albert area.

And those numbers are only going to grow over the next few weeks.

“We’ve had a pretty dry start and it was also pretty cold, and we are seeing more rain right now,” said Sydney Worthy, entomologist with the City of Saskatoon. “We’re kind of expecting it to go up a little bit but I don’t know it will be as high as the average.”

According to Worthy, the population right now is actually below average for this time of year. Part of the reason it might feel like people are finding more is because last year’s population was quite low.

“We do have numbers a bit higher than last year,” said Worthy. “The first few weeks of the year that we were sampling, it was actually higher last year. We’re just starting to see that uptick now.”

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What made last year such a down year for mosquito population was the mixture of dry weather and heat. A dry start this year has given way to a much wetter June, and the heat from last summer isn’t as present.

“When it’s hotter, evaporation occurs much more quickly,” Worthy said. “If it’s cooler, if it’s wetter, you’re going to be seeing a lot more mosquitoes.”

Since it’s been both cooler and wetter for much of June, and since there is a chance of rain the next five days in a row in the Prince Albert area, the conditions are just right for the mosquito population to rise. Any standing water on people’s property could be a potential breeding ground for them.

“Anything that can catch water and keep it for even a week or two at a time, something like kids’ toys is something that’s often overlooked,” Worthy said. “Or rain catchers or bird baths, things like that, anything that can hold that water and is standing mosquitoes can use as habitats.”

One week is all it takes, and with the sun not out as much and the temperatures running no higher than seasonal averages, the water won’t evaporate as easily. Aside from clearing out those sources of standing water, Worthy said making sure you wear clothing that covers more of your body is a good way to avoid getting bitten.

Worthy added so far this season the risks of West Nile Virus are very low.

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rob.mahon@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @RobMahonPxP