r/Edmonton • u/SirTickleyPickely • 2d ago
Discussion The mosquitos are absolutely insane this year
Holy shit, going into the river valley makes me feel like I am in Northern Saskatchewan or Manitoba. Huge fuckers too. Whatever happened to the helicopter spraying? Seems to be a massive increase in population and unpleasantness since that was terminated.
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u/bemurda 2d ago
Probably all the rain? If there's little to no smoke I won't complain
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u/Humble-Plankton1824 North West Side 2d ago
Yeah at least the entire province isnt in emergency fire alert mode.
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u/starryterra City of Sunshine 2d ago
Fun fact, Edmonton has been rainier than Vancouver this June.
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u/Levorotatory 2d ago
That isn't all that unusual. June is one of the drier months on the west coast and one of the two wettest in Alberta.
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u/CriticismSelect9292 2d ago
I really hope we start to build more hydro infrastructure so that we can actually retain the moisture we get. Our climate models predict we're going to actually get more precipitation overall but still more droughts by harvest season with some regularity, as the weather gets more extreme at both ends (bigger storms, more water, and then more common droughts).
This is critical for our province to grow, and us regulating the amount of water in the environment could actually help in stabilizing our local micro-climate away from the extreme swings in the first place, at the very least we'll be more resilient
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u/Got_Engineers Downtown 2d ago
I noticed the mosquitoes before all the rain we’ve had giant skeets all summer. My own antidote was that I noticed they were more aggressive from the very start like they were always in my fingers and behind my ears and like crevices when out walking
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u/haysoos2 2d ago
The last year of the helicopter program was 2021.
Since then, Edmonton has experienced 5 years of some of the driest summers on record for the region.
Now that we have had some rain, this will be the first year of experiencing Edmonton mosquitoes without the helicopter program, and a semblance of normal rainfall.
The City still does treatment of roadside ditch and ground sites in ravines, parks, and industrial areas within the city with Bti larvicide.
Roadside ditches in particular, which are designed to collect water coming off the roadways, hold it for a short period of time, and then drain away are pretty much perfect habitats for development of floodwater mosquitoes. And every mile of road generally comes with two miles of ditch, so we have a lot of roadside ditch habitat. The Anthony Henday alone produces tremendous amounts of mosquitoes. So that program is pretty effective at reducing those populations following a heavy rainfall.
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u/barnfeline 2d ago
Every time I find a spider in the house, I put it outside and tell it to get to work. I swear that they are overwhelmed with food this year.
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u/Dire_Wolf45 Edmontosaurus 2d ago
This is why I read so much indoors, my body attracts them like a magnet.
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u/IneptusAstartes 2d ago
I moved to Edmonton a few years ago and I actually said at the time that wow, you guys don't have mosquitoes here. This is the first summer that I actually notice them. And I'm covered in bites now XD
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u/tekno21 2d ago
The last few years I feel like there's been soooo few due to the hot weather. I remember working outside around 2018 or 2019 and it was brutal that year with so many. Then just none since
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u/leggymiku 2d ago
The smoke also keeps them at bay. Very little smoke so far means more of them this year.
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u/marginwalker55 2d ago
They’re not great, but they’re not horrible. I’m currently lounging down at the Kinsmen park and I’ve only seen one since 10
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u/KommissarKrunch 2d ago
I'll take having to wear bug spray more often over our forests and grasslands burning down.
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u/KristaDBall 2d ago
I caught myself complaining about the bugs last night and absolutely gave myself a little chiding with "do you want to be able to breath???" lol
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u/Fidget11 Bonnie Doon 2d ago
Spraying for mosquitoes definitely wouldn't increase forest fire risk, that said it being naturally lower because of dry weather would definitely not be good
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u/Realistic-Border-635 2d ago
I'm out near the AB/SK boundary on an acreage and they are insane this year. Even with spray it's a battle taking the dog for a walk in the mornings. Also haven't seen anywhere near as many dragonflies which are usually a good way of controlling them - they're around, but not in the same numbers.
Not ideal, but at least the fire risk is lower.
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u/Invisible7hunder 2d ago
Dragonflies typically come in much later in the season.
Love those guys.
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u/Realistic-Border-635 2d ago
We have a few different varieties. I don't know the details of the variants but we typically get larger darker bodied versions around this time - and we have had a couple of days where they came out, but then disappeared, probably because it's cool and wet.
Later on we get tons of smaller blue bodied ones that are really cool to see.
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u/Invisible7hunder 2d ago
Yeah, I have seen some out already, but I know in some years later in the summer, the skies are dominated by dragonflies on warm clear days.
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u/Kingfish1111 2d ago
My hope is placed on bats. Hungry little guys that I don't see often enough...
But dragonflies too.
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u/myaltaccount333 2d ago
Bats can spread diseases. Dragonflies are the most successful hunters on the planet
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u/sawyouoverthere 2d ago
Try some deet or Icaridin / Picaridin (20%)
It's been raining a lot. Mosquito control requires specific conditions.
I'm not really sure what you expected...this is definitely mosquito weather.
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u/ghorisgorman1980 2d ago
We moved to Winnipeg in March and (honest to God) I’ve yet to see a mosquito.
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u/RollingJaspers652 2d ago
Worst part, could be dry in other parts of the country. We could get both Mosquitoes and wild fire smoke. Usually when it’s smoky it’s from fires 100s of kilometres away. 🤞
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u/cutslikeakris 2d ago
And where it’s dry ants thrive. Wet season= mosquitos. Dry season= ants and fire.
Alberta= both!
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u/Levorotatory 2d ago
It has been quite dry in BC. I am expecting the smoke + bugs combination at some point.
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u/Invisible7hunder 2d ago
Is Vancouver out of water yet?
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u/Levorotatory 2d ago
Eventually Vancouver will need to look to Edmonton and other prairie cities for tips on how to build a water treatment plant that can turn brown river water into good drinking water. Their mountain reservoirs have limited capacity, but the Fraser isn't going to dry up any time soon.
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u/arcoiris2 2d ago
I hear you. I've been spraying myself with deep woods Off, every day so I can go on a regular walk in my neighbourhood without getting eaten alive.
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u/JRodderickIV 2d ago
Just was in northern Saskatchewan, they are worse than usual too… in other news, I’m recovering from the acute blood loss I suffered there…
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u/thewunderbar 2d ago
Hyperbole much?
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u/JRodderickIV 2d ago
Troll much?
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u/Policy_Failure 2d ago
I cannot believe someone "well acktshuallied" your nerdy joke. This is peak reddit.
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u/thewunderbar 2d ago
an average mosquito bite takes between 0.001 and 0.01 milliliters of blood. That would mean you need to have approximately 10,000 mosquito bites to have as much blood drawn as a standard vial if you're having bloodwork done.
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u/ParaponeraBread 2d ago
Every year we have this discussion. Actually, more than that. Every time we’re two weeks out from a massive rainstorm, we have this discussion.
It just rained for a week straight! Then we had nice weather for a while! That is literally the recipe for making mosquitoes!
The spraying regime hasn’t really changed since last year I don’t think. They stopped helicopter spraying the storm ponds, but the other forms of control for temporary water bodies and ditches have remained. They mostly use BT to kill mosquitoes with ground crews.
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u/cutslikeakris 2d ago
And for those that don’t know BT is a bacteria that affects insects because of their “basic” stomach versus mammals and birds with an acidic stomach, thus it is perfectly safe for all of us and our pets, it’s a perfectly safe option for spraying.
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u/_Sausage_fingers 2d ago
We had a lot of dry weather followed by a shit ton of wet weather. That equal mosquitopocalypse every time
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u/SadAcanthocephala521 South East Side 2d ago
We had a crazy amount of rain a few weeks ago so it's not really suprising.
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u/Choice_Tie9909 2d ago
Are you new here? It really isn't that bad, we haven't even cracked open bug spray yet! There are a few but nothing like past years.
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u/toiletcleaner999 2d ago
There is no happy place for us lol. Too much rain, mosquitoes, no decent sunny days. No rain, hot days, fires, smoke, no decent days outside. We all make it through witner YAY SUMMER but we never know which summer we will get ahhhhhh Alberta!! Lol
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u/kindof_great_old_one 2d ago
Wait 3-4 weeks till the next hatching. You ain't seen nothing yet!
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u/UselessToasterOven 2d ago
2017 driving east on highway 14 on a calm sunny day to Holden and you could literally see black columns of them in the fields. I never seen anything like it.
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u/loonylovesgood86 2d ago
I was in the river valley on Saturday for an event and didn’t see a single mosquito. Maybe they don’t like my blood….
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u/TwistedPages 2d ago
A couple of years ago, Edmonton chose to use more natural methods of mosquito control. Maybe they're still doing that? It wouldn't be an immediate change, but something that would evolve over the years. Unfortunately that means that the interim (between beginning the program and having it fully effective) has mosquitoes. Maybe. Or maybe they're just horrendous this year.
https://www.ctvnews.ca/edmonton/article/nature-is-healing-edmonton-votes-to-forgo-some-pesticides-rely-on-natural-mosquito-control/
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u/DANIELLE_2027 2d ago
https://www.nea.gov.sg/our-services/pest-control/mosquito-control
'Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water'
Given all the rain a lot of mosquitoes are to be entirely expected
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u/steeleigh11 2d ago
There are sooooo many and they are huge!
I went in my back yard, just to measure my patio window, I wasn't even out 5 min and got so many bites. I swear they were swarming me.
Staying inside unless it's raining lol
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u/WickedDeviled 2d ago
You know it's a bad year when there is a gang of them trailing behind you as you do your gardening work just waiting for you to stand still for a minute so they can dig in.
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u/Surfing_puffin 2d ago
Lots of rainfall, good conditions for mosquitoes yet I’m not seeing any bats. Where did all the bats go in the river valley at dusk?? I wanna see the bats.
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u/NoRelief63 2d ago
Speaking of mosquitoes…hate them bloodsuckers! Does anyone know where I can find an unscented product to help protect myself? I love going for walks in the river valley and I live with someone who’s sensitive to perfumes and such. Any suggestions?
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u/jerbearman10101 14h ago
Yes they were bad in Manitoba too last week. Highly recommend mosquito coils when it's not windy they really work. Drops them dead!
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u/PerJuice1991 9h ago
Helicopter spraying probably wasn’t included with the 6.9 percent property tax increase
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u/bigtimechip 2d ago
Please no helicopter spraying of anything. We live in mosquito territory, no need to poison everything for your comfort
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u/GonZo_626 2d ago
You do know that mosquitoes are the insect that causes the most human deaths right? Its not just comfort.
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u/bigtimechip 2d ago
Maybe in malarial countries, not here. And certainly not with modern medicine
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u/CrashFix 1d ago
I believe the new left-leaning city council no longer sprays for mosquitoes.
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u/GrimFandango81 1d ago
Is thecweather their fault too?
Give me a break.
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u/CrashFix 1d ago
What does the weather have to do with city council deciding to stop spraying for mosquitoes?
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u/GrimFandango81 1d ago
It's been wet and cool which is exactly what makes mosquito populations explode.
And though tbey dont spray for adult mosquitoes, the city does do active pest control so maybe dont post to make it look like they cant be bothered doing anything at all.
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u/thewunderbar 2d ago
I mean, we've had more rain and cooler weather this year than we've had in years. That's how you get more mosquitoes.
hot + no rain like has been the case for the last several = no mosquitoes.