City to use dragonflies, education and no pesticides in summer skeeter fight

UPDATE: While there will be no aerial mosquito spraying this year after a city council vote this week, the City of Edmonton said Friday it will continue its mosquito-control program "with robust and targeted ground and ditch control measures."

Those measures will target mosquito larvae developing in temporary bodies that form from snowmelt and rainfall in ditches and low-lying areas near roads, shared, paths, sidewalks, power lines and other utility corridors, the city said in a news release.

Edmonton won't spray pesticides this summer to control mosquitoes after city council voted Monday to use the money onbiological pest control and education.

Saying pesticides impact the city's water supply, the food chain, bird populations and the environment, Coun.Michael Janzsuggested the $507,000 requested for theaerial mosquito program on alternative forms of control and public awareness.

"This allows us to spend money, I think, more responsibly going forward," Janz said.

Biological pest control would include dragonflies and bats. Educational efforts would focus on methods of deterring mosquito populationfrom forming in yards, such asby preventing pools of stagnant water from forming, Janz noted.

"We'll have residents being more aware of why that kiddie pool full of stale water is not just bad for you, it's bad for your neighbourhood."

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Since 1980, the city has been using larvicide products containing a fly gut toxin derived from bacteria the most widely used products worldwide, approved by Health Canada and recommended by the World Health Organization.

The practice is to drop the pesticides from helicopters to targetmosquito larvae, a more proactive, effective and safer approach than controlling adult mosquitoes, stated a report to council.

The program targets "nuisance, biting mosquitoes" to increase livability in the city and allow residents and visitors to take full advantage of outdoor activities during Edmonton's brief summer season, the report says.

At a meeting two weeks ago, several people called for the city to ban pesticides, with experts describing the loss of bird populations as clear evidence of their impacts.

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Aaron Paquette, councillor for Ward Dene, said it should be fairly straightforward to inform people how they can deter and prevent mosquitoes in their own properties.

"Use an oscillating fan, make sure there's no standing water, use mosquito spray," he suggested.

Paquette said the city could explain that other jurisdictions have stopped using pesticides to control mosquitoes.

"We could also provide the rationale and reasoning, also indicating that entire provinces are moving in that direction," he added.

Catrin Owen, the city's branchmanager of communications, agreed that coming up with an education campaign wouldn't take long.

"It wouldn't be complex to convey to Edmontonians what measures they could takein their own lives to minimize the impact of mosquitoes," Owen told council.