Mosquito program returns to Langdon

Shannon LeClair
Times Reporter

 

The mosquito program is coming back to the Langdon area this year and is now listed as a core service with Rocky View County. Councillor for the area Rolly Ashdown said he has brought it up in budget over the last couple years and is pleased to see that is now a fixed budget item.
“It’s recognized as something that the people of Langdon enjoy and it helps the problem a lot. There’s a lot of standing water in and around the Langdon area and that’s where mosquitoes come from basically,” said Ashdown.
According to Jeff Fleischer, Rocky View County Agricultural Services team lead, the mosquito reduction program in Langdon consists of public education, monitoring of mosquito larvae, control of larval mosquitoes and surveillance of adult mosquitoes.
The program has three stages: identifying the hotspots where significant larvae populations exist; applying the larvicide; and then monitoring and reapplying as necessary. The county monitors the area from May until September.
Larvicide is the most effective and efficient means of controlling the mosquitoes. It is applied to the pools of standing water where mosquitoes lay their eggs, killing the larvae and thus preventing the future presence of adult mosquitoes. It also has little to no impact on other life forms.
“In the past it has been pretty effective and it makes summer a little bit more bearable because there’s not as many mosquitoes around,” said Ashdown.
“The mosquitoes were unbearable, they were keeping kids in at recess time, you couldn’t open the windows in your vehicle, mosquitoes were just swarming, it was really quite unbelievable.”
Residents of Langdon are also asked to do their part in helping control the problem.
“We have been encouraging the residents of Langdon to take some preventative measures on their own properties to eliminate standing water, minimize exposure and apply an insect repellant that contains DEET,” said Fleischer.
“We currently inspect all of the standing water on county-owned land within the Hamlet of Langdon for mosquito larvae. If the number of mosquito larvae found exceeds prescribed threshold levels, larvicide treatments are initiated.
“We also monitor the adult mosquito numbers inside the hamlet as well as outside the area to help determine the effectiveness of the program.”
Last year alone Fleischer said Langdon saw an overall reduction in the adult mosquito population by 18 per cent. More information about the program can be found at www.rockyview.ca/mosquitoes.