Bug control crews 'flat out'

Photo: RDOS

Flooded land during the spring

Mosquito control crews with the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen have been working “flat-out” since spring, treating over 70 per cent more sites than usual.

The increased workload is caused by high-water and flooding this spring, according to RDOS pest control coordinator Zoe Kirk.

“It often made it very difficult for the mosquito control person to get to normal treatment areas because there was large bodies of water in the way,” she said, adding they were forced to apply larvicide from the air five times this year, instead of the typical three.

“Because there was flooding in areas that had not flooded in 50-60 years, or ever, we actually added 213 new sites to the program, and the program has 300 sites on a regular year.”

Kirk expects they will be about $30,000 over budget this year, with another busy year expected in 2018.

“As waters recede, mosquitos lay their eggs, and those eggs are viable for 10 years, so the next time they get wet for any length of time they can start to hatch.”

She said come budget time, the RDOS board will likely look at bumping up funding to make up the difference.