City gets green light to fog for mosquitoes with DeltaGard

The city got the go-ahead from Health Canadato use DeltaGard 20EW to combatadult mosquitoes, should fogging be required.

DeltaGard 20EW, which containsdeltamethrin, replaces malathionwhich Winnipegused for decadesbut is no longer available for sale.

• Malathion out, DeltaGard in for Winnipeg's mosquito fogging program
• Winnipeg still waiting for permission to use malathion replacement

The insecticide is a man-made version of a pyrethrin, which is a natural insecticide from chrysanthemum flowers.

Fogging with the chemical will only be done if control of adult mosquitoes is needed after larviciding, which targets mosquito larvae while they're still in the aquatic stage.

Health Canada approved the use of the product on Friday, and posted a decision statement on its website.

"The evaluation found that, under the approved conditions of use, the products have value and do not present an unacceptable risk to human health or the environment," it said.

Health Canada's pest management regulatory agency also said deltamethrin is not expected to cause harm to animal populations, bees, beneficial insects or aquatic life.

The city says buffer zones within the city will still be respected. If fogging is required, crews will not spray within 90 metres of each side of a registered property.

You can find information on how to register your property for a buffer zone on the City of Winnipeg website.