Yellowknifers could be in for a buggy summer after heavy rainfalls soaked the city during early June.
“Scientifically speaking, you will see an increase in numbers – if you get additional rain, you will get additional insects,” said Taz Stuart, a nationally known entomologist who monitors bug and insect populations in the Northwest Territories.
“Based on what I’m seeing, and I have to use what I see historically, I would say you have quite a few bugs coming.”
Record rainfalls last week will lead to broader breeding grounds for mosquitoes and other bugs, said Stuart.
“In my opinion, yes, you're going to see mosquitos within three weeks or so,” said the Manitoba-based expert.
He warned that the increase in population will last longer than the mosquitoes' lifespan of 14 days.
While many eggs will hatch and develop by the end of June and into early July, there will be many more eggs that will lay dormant and hatch at different periods throughout the summer, keeping the number of bugs above average, he explained.
However, it’s not necessarily all bad news for Yellowknifers this summer, according to Stuart, who suggested there are preventative measures that residents of the city can take to fight off the parasites over the coming months.
“DEET is your friend, wear it,” said Stuart
“Also, protect your backyard. Those mosquitoes will be developing in your backyard so if you see water, dump it, cover it and clean it.”
The eggs that will continue to hatch throughout the summer are likely to be laid in stale bodies
of water, said Stuart.
That means in places such as puddles that appear in backyards, buckets and gutters.
He advised that if residents see any buildup of water around their property, they should properly clean out whatever surface it appeared on.
He recommended washing outdoor surfaces with a compound known as BTI to kill any larvae.
Once they’ve taken care of that, Stuart suggested other steps to fight off the bugs, including wearing bug spray and treating bites with creams and spray.