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2006 News Releases |
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Cankerworm and Nuisance Mosquito Control Programs continue
MEDIA RELEASE: WINNIPEG May 25, 2006 - The Insect Control Branch has now completed initial treatment of Assiniboine and Kildonan Parks, the Fort Rouge, West End, East Kildonan and St. Boniface areas, and has started in the Transcona area. Monitoring of the treated areas has indicated a reduction in the overall cankerworm population. However, a second treatment was required in the Fort Rouge area and current monitoring indicates further treatment is required in the West End and St. Boniface areas. Our Cankerworm Control Program will continue until the areas identified with high cankerworm emergence are treated, and/or until the cankerworms move to the pupa stage. Once cankerworms begin hanging from their threads, they stop feeding on leaves and therefore spraying with Btk is no longer effective as the cankerworms have to feed on the product. The worms will move to the next stage of their lifecycle known as the pupal stage in the ground and will not be seen until the fall or spring as adult cankerworm moths. Weather permitting; the control program should be complete within 7 to 10 days. The control program takes place between the hours of 9:30 p.m. and 5:30 a.m. daily, weather dependent. Spraying does not occur if there is significant rainfall or winds greater than 20 kmph. Citizens may register for a buffer zone if they do not wish spraying for cankerworm control to be carried out adjacent to their property. Citizens may register by contacting the Insect Control Branch in writing at 3 Grey Street, R2L 1V2, by email at insectcontrol@winnipeg.ca or by fax at 311 and providing the following information:
Homeowners are responsible for controlling cankerworms on their own property. They can spray the leaf surface with a biological product such as BTk, which is available at major home and garden centers. Homeowners can also contract this spraying service by referring to the yellow pages under tree service or exterminators. With respect to nuisance mosquito control, the City’s spring larviciding program has been very successful in controlling spring nuisance mosquitoes. Monitoring of standing water sites continues to indicate low to moderate levels of larval development, with the occasional site having higher levels. Weather dependent, a small emergence of the first generation of adult summer nuisance mosquitoes is expected within the next week. Insect Control larviciding crews will continue with our aggressive larviciding program to keep larval development to a minimum. The Insect Control Branch continues to monitor the 24 New Jersey Light Traps for nuisance mosquitoes and the city wide daily average is posted on the website. For the month of May, trap counts are collected three times per week with yesterday’s city wide daily average trap count at 1. It is important to note that, nuisance mosquito trap counts are only one of the factors which make up the City of Winnipeg’s Adulticiding Factor Analysis (AFA) Level. The AFA Level consists of a range of factors that are considered in determining the appropriate control measure to be implemented for nuisance mosquitoes. Information on nuisance mosquito trap counts as well as other AFA factors are available at Winnipeg.ca/bugline.
The City is encouraging property owners to also help “Fight the Bite” by taking one of the following steps to eliminate standing water on their properties: Interested individuals may acquire more information by contacting the City’s Bugline at 311, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or by visiting the City’s Insect Control website at Winnipeg.ca/bugline. |
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