The City of Calgary is expecting an average spring for mosquitoes

The City of Calgary's mosquito monitoring program is checking for the development of one of Canada's nastiest bugs, and officials say we can expect them any day now.

Alex Coker, the city's pest control technician, says adult mosquitoes should be buzzing around Calgary in the next two to three days, judging by the development of mosquito larvae he's collected recently.

“We can tell depending on the life stage in certain areas, and then looking at the forecast, the daily temperature, when we expect them to go through their life cycle.”

Coker said the bug forecast can change quickly depending on the weather, but so far it looks like a very average spring for mosquitoes.

“There are several species that grow in container habitats, which can be natural or man-made containers, really a small pool, something like a small rock pool,” Coker said. “Even things like birdbaths or rain barrels.”

The city recommends draining unwanted water from yards and keeping grass short to limit mosquitoes.

If there is enough rain, the city will launch a pesticide program that uses a special bacteria called BTI that targets only mosquitoes.

“They don't get activated until they eat it, and that reduces the non-target effect on other aquatic life,” Coker said.

“The product must be specifically activated in the mosquito's gut.”