Will we pay for the incredibly warm winter by an overabundance of bug activity this summer? If you’ve turned the weather channel on at all the last few months, you’ve probably heard that all this warm air blowing off the Pacific Ocean is due to the current El Nino weather system. The El Nino is a system that changes weather patterns on a global level and often leaves humans and pests wondering what exactly is going on. It’s been responsible for the recent warm dry winter across Canada, and lately we’ve been having a lot of Calgarians asking, “will we be dealing with swarms of mosquitos come summertime?”
But if Our Winter Was Dry There Shouldn’t Be Mosquitos, Right?
Well, it’s hard to say. Calgarians are famous for talking about the weather and the impact it has on our city; we even have our own weather mantra, “Don’t like the weather? Wait five minutes.” But lately the weather has been incredibly stable and waiting five minutes just seems to be ushering in more of the same dry, warm temperatures. This has Albertans arguing over whether the summertime bug activity is going to the punishment for a non-existent winter or whether the dryness might mean no mosquitoes at all. Probably, it’ll be a bit of both. The consistently dry and warm days may have given the mosquitoes a head-start on summertime fun. The dormant, immature mosquitoes, develop quickly when the weather conditions are good, and many are ready to start venturing out of their winter hideaway in search of sustenance. But if conditions continue to be dry, they may have trouble breeding over the rest of summer.
Why do Dry Conditions Matter?
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in water. The first bunch of these nasty blood-sucking pests hatch from eggs laid in fall, so they aren’t affected by Alberta’s drought conditions. But in order for the next generation to be born, female mosquitoes will need to find still water to lay their eggs in. And this is great news for people! Because, while we can’t control the weather pattern Mother Nature has handed us, we can control our immediate environment to ensure that mosquitoes simply have fewer or no opportunities to lay eggs.
Where Does Water Hide?
The obvious question for most Calgarians is where can they find this still water, so they can get rid of it before the mosquitoes hatch? Unfortunately, the answer is lots of places. Water troughs, puddles around eaves spouts, bird baths, dog water, and soggy areas of a yard all provide enough water. A female mosquito and her larvae only need a few inches of liquid. But don’t give up hope! It takes seven full days for mosquito larvae to mature, and that means you don’t need to get rid of all sources of water. Instead, just make sure you replace the water in your bird bath a couple time a week. Pet water should be changed daily, of course, and have a landscaping expert clean your eavestroughs and help you to avoid puddles on your lawn.
There are many ways you can stop mosquitoes breeding in your yard, but that won’t do you any good if your neighbour keeps a puddle of stagnant water for the pests. If you need help controlling unwanted bugs and pests in your home and yard, than we’re here to help. Call our expert pest management team at One Man and a Lady Bug at (403) 262-1666 today.
