Best thing to do is wait out the bugs, says the mosquito expert.
Parts of Chilliwack are experiencing a “slightly higher than average” annoyance level, about two weeks after the Fraser River freshet peaked.
Anyone living around the Hope-Camp Slough system may be suffering somewhat, as well as Fairfield Island and on Island 22.
Dirk Lewis of Morrow BioScience said what they are seeing now is the dispersion of adult mosquitoes that have hatched and are out looking for a “blood meal.”
Progress reader KJ Kayfish had this to say online: “I am basically showering in repellent at this point just to keep them at bay, and literally had to flee inside yesterday while attempting to do some yardwork as I was getting swarmed.”
When freshet water floods into the dry areas every spring, it can rehydrate a lot of mosquito eggs laid on the soil, said Lewis. Some years, the larval density is higher, especially after years of low water levels.
So the challenge is coming from the mosquitoes that they didn’t manage to kill earlier in the season with the bacterial larvacide treatment, Bti.
“There’s a slightly higher than average mosquito annoyance,” said Lewis. “The good thing is that as they disperse, it gets a little less annoying.”
Predators will eat them and people will swat them, so the numbers will go down.
In the meantime, people will have to wait it out.
Lewis recommends wearing repellent when heading outdoors, and wearing light-coloured and loose-fitting clothing. Avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk, if possible.
The density of the mosquitoes is considerable higher when there’s lot of seepage, usually on agricultural land.
“If anyone sees water seepage or water on the ground that is not normally there, we can map those areas.”
Call the mosquito hotline at 1- 888-733-2333 or send a note to mosquitoes@fvrd.bc.ca
