Just listening to CJOB on line and they were saying that the Province has ordered Winnipeg to begin spraying malathion all over the city (no stupid buffers for the dorks in Wolsley). The mosquito trap counts are way up and the majority of those caught are the species that carry West Nile. Dragonflies didn't work, as given the choice they'll eat each other before they eat a mosquito. What are your feelings about the City/Province's decision? For those of you who live in other cities, what are their policies? Also, what should be done with those who try and obstruct the spraying operations(those who've lived in Winnipeg, know about these nuts).

   

I think it's a waste of money. The fogging gives us 24-48 hours of relief and it harms the predator species, so the problem is worse in the next cycle. That's great if you are trying to make a special event more pleasant, but as a solution to mosquitoes it's stupid. Larviciding works. Wearing DEET works. Wearing loose-fitting light clothing works. Spraying for adults is silly.

If they would provide gravel and dirt for filling in holes where puddles form, it would do much more for preventing mosquitoes. If they would stop spraying for long enough for predators like dragon flies, frogs, and bats to build up their populations, that would help. So would encouraging people to build bat houses. So would loosening the zoning regulations on screened in porches and permanent gazebos. If people would just accept that we built a city in a swamp, and act accordingly, it would be helpful.

I'm not against spraying malathion. It's relatively safe. It's a stop-gap measure for special events at best though...a political solution to an entomylogical problem.

   

There is a safer alternative to mosquito population control; it is called the Mosquito Magnet and it is a trap that attracts female mosquitoes (the ones that bite), no-see-ums, biting midges, black flies, and sandflies. As the mosquito approaches the trap hoping for a human, it is quietly vacuumed into a net where it dehydrates and dies - it mimics a human body by emitting a plume of carbon dioxide (CO2), heat and moisture, and a short-range attractant, octenol. NO zapping! And it can have a capture range from 1/2 acre up to 2 acres!! For details see: www.mosquitomagnet.com - It is truly the coolest bug device I have ever seen! I am always eaten alive by mosquitos and the bites get very large and itchy but with this machine on my wooded property I can enjoy sitting outside - even at dawn or dusk!
Plus, they can be purchased at wholesale from Toronto: [email protected] .... there's my 2 cents, folks! Best of luck with the mosquitos!