Winnipeg, MB - Today, the City of Winnipeg announced the start of its surveillance and larviciding activities for the 2014 insect control season.
Mosquito Control Program
This season’s mosquito control program will continue to be based on an environmentally mindful Insect Control Strategy.
The City of Winnipeg will continue using an integrated pest management approach which includes larviciding, residual treatments, and when necessary, fogging, to supplement these ongoing measures.
- As in previous years, the Insect Control Branch continues to use four larviciding helicopters on contract.
- The total number of staff working at the Branch will be similar to last year, with approximately 160 staff being employed.
- Currently the Branch monitors and treats over 31,000 hectares of water area on an ongoing basis based on weather conditions.
- Our Geographic Information System database contains approximately 7,000 standing water listings, many of which contain multiple sites.
- Monitoring for adult nuisance mosquitoes in the New Jersey Light Traps began one week ago. The first trap counts and the AFA were posted yesterday, Wednesday, May 7, 2014 on the Insect Control website. The current New Jersey Light Trap count is zero.
Fogging will be initiated only when the requirements of the City policy, the AFA (Adulticiding Factor Analysis) Guidelines, and the Provincial Pesticide Use Permit are met. If nuisance mosquito fogging is required, the program will be carried out in the entire city, buffer zones respected, prioritizing first for areas with highest nuisance mosquito populations. For details on the AFA factors, please refer to the Insect Control website.
A 24-hour public notice will be issued prior to a nuisance fogging program being implemented. Daily public notices will also be issued detailing where fogging will occur that night. Personal notification by telephone and/or email of the mosquito fogging programs activities is also available by:
- Contacting the Insect Control Branch in writing at 3 Grey Street, R2L 1V2,
- Emailing 311@winnipeg.ca or faxing 311,
- Registering online, and
- Registering in person at 1539 Waverley Street.
All Winnipeg neighbourhoods have been grouped into 51 Insect Management Areas so that residents can become familiar with their Insect Management Area. Information on all fogging, cankerworm and elm bark beetle control activities will be provided by referencing the specific Insect Management Area in which they are being carried out. These maps can be found on our website. You can also find out the Insect Management area that you live in by calling 311.
Residents can apply for a 90 metre buffer zone in order to exempt their property during a Residential Adult Nuisance Mosquito Fogging Program. Property owners not wanting insecticides applied on or adjacent to their principal residence may register as “Anti-Pesticide Registrants” for adult nuisance mosquito control using Pro Malathion ULVâ�.
Those who wish to register must provide identification that ties the registrant to the address being registered for a buffer zone. A photocopy or scanned document like a driver's licence or utility bill will suffice as acceptable identification proving primary residence.
There are four different options to register:
- In writing to Insect Control Branch at 3 Grey Street, R2L 1V2,
- Emailing 311 at 311@winnipeg.ca or faxing 311, and
- In person at 1539 Waverley Street.
As a minimum 72-hour turnaround time is required for processing, residents are reminded to begin registering now for the 2014 season, in the event that cankerworm control or mosquito fogging is required.
PLEASE HELP FIGHT THE BITE!
The City is strongly encouraging property owners to also help “Fight the Bite” as approximately 50 per cent of standing water sites are located on private property.
Homeowners can take one of the following steps to eliminate standing water on their properties:
- Dump It! - containers
- Drain It! - eavestroughing or unused containers
- Cover It! - rain water collection containers
- Fill It! - low-lying areas
- Treat It! - biological larvicide
Cankerworm Control Program
Due to the late spring the spring cankerworm monitoring information is unavailable as the spring run has just started. The fall cankerworm monitoring information indicates a low population.
The Insect Control Branch will provide updates on cankerworm monitoring in the coming weeks as the spring run results become available.
Homeowners are reminded to remove tree bands
It is too late to carry out any further banding of your trees this spring as the wingless female moths have already started climbing the trees and laying their eggs on the branches. Please remember to remove any tree bands on May long weekend, as the band will damage the bark of the tree if left on throughout the summer. To control fall cankerworm please put new sticky bands up in early September.
Residents can apply for a 30 metre buffer zone in order to exempt their property during a Cankerworm Treatment Program. Property owners not wanting insecticides applied on or adjacent to their principal residence may register as “Anti-Pesticide Registrants” for the cankerworm control using Btk (Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies kurstaki).
There are four different options to register:
- In writing to Insect Control Branch at 3 Grey Street, R2L 1V2,
- Emailing 311 at 311@winnipeg.ca or faxing 311, and
- In person at 1539 Waverley Street.
As a minimum 72-hour turnaround time is required for processing, residents are reminded to begin registering now for the 2014 season, in the event that cankerworm control or mosquito fogging is required.
Personal notification by telephone and/or email of the cankerworm programs activities is also available by:
- Contacting the Insect Control Branch in writing at 3 Grey Street, R2L 1V2,
- Emailing 311@winnipeg.ca or faxing 311,
- Registering online, and
- In person at 1539 Waverley Street.
Interested individuals may acquire more information by contacting 311 or by visiting the Insect Control Branch website.