Near-record wet June leads to mosquito uprising

#2. 241.0 mm, 1935
#3. 221.0 mm, 1928
#4. 188.0 mm, 1914
#5. 186.9 mm, 2026

In Red Deer, where there are rain gauges at the Collicutt and the municipal water treatment plant, there were 140 mm of rain recorded in June. The City of Red Deer did not have historical data readily available.

Katsademas noted there were three major rainfall events in June, plus several smaller ones, so it all added up quickly.

To boot, Red Deer Regional Airport recorded 21 mm on May 31, which upped that month’s total to a still historically dry 25 mm.

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Katsademas also shared that the average amount for July is 90 mm, while the average for August is 70 mm — at the airport.

Other than that, and the 15 mm observed on July 1, it’s hard to say what Red Deer will get as summer goes on, she noted.

What can be predicted is that people in these parts will continue to deal with an uprising of mosquitoes in the coming weeks.

The City affirms that excess rain has created conditions for nuisance-level mosquito egg hatching and larval development.

City crews are actively treating low-lying wet areas known to produce these nuisance populations. The control product they’re using is an environmentally safe microbial pesticide that specifically targets mosquito larvae.

The intent, the city adds, is not to eliminate them, but to keep populations at tolerable levels.

In Red Deer County, they don’t conduct mosquito control, but officials offer several simple steps residents anywhere can take to prevent populations from excessively proliferating.

“Wearing long sleeves and pants, using approved insect repellents such as DEET or Icaridin, avoiding peak mosquito hours at dawn and dusk, and eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed by regularly emptying birdbaths, disposing of unused tires, and covering rain barrels [are helpful],” says Jordan Smith, assistant agricultural services manager.

“Landowners can also support natural mosquito control by encouraging predators such as swallows, swifts, and bats through appropriate habitat features like bird shelters and bat houses. For those experiencing mosquito issues around private ponds or dugouts, a variety of approved consumer products are available through local pesticide retailers. Retailers can provide guidance on suitable options, with any pesticide, it is important to carefully read and follow all label directions.”

More information about mosquitoes is at reddeer.ca.

by Josh Hall

Near-record wet June leads to mosquito uprising

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