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Around the world, the most effective mosquito control has been
shown to be a combination of common-sense strategies. A paradigm
shift is needed in Winnipeg. Winnipegers need to understand their
role in helping the City reduce mosquito populations and restore
nature's ecological balance. A combined approach including the
aspects outlined below is needed.
Paradigm Shift (Public Education):
- Blame/Responsibility shifting
- rather than laying any blame or expecting City employees
to take care of this problem for us, we all have to understand
that we need to work together to reduce mosquito populations
- mosquitoes don't usually fly very far--if you have mosquitoes
in your back yard, they probably hatched there
- Resource shifting
- we must stop investing in poisons (which have been shown
to increase mosquito populations over time) and start investing
in projects that will restore natural predator populations
and people's ability to protect themselves
- obviously, over time, reduced exposures to toxins will
result in reduced health care costs
- Tolerance shifting
- it is unreasonable and arrogant to assume we can eradicate
a specie from the food chain without creating consequences
- if we were not already sick or immune depleted because
of toxic exposures, we would all stand to benefit from the
WNv antibodies being bitten by an infected Culex tarsalis
mosquito may provide
- towns that have switched to non-toxic mosquito control
measures have had to suffer through only one summer of high
mosquito counts before Mother Nature restored equilibrium
Source Reduction: the best way to prevent mosquito breeding
is to remove stagnant water
- drainage
- expand the TEEAM project into every area of Winnipeg: teams
of students can clean yards, eaves troughs, etc (note. this
means more than identifying needs, this means doing the work)
- coordinate community clean-up days when volunteers could help
the elderly or infirm remove breeding sites from their yards
- continue advertising personal means to reduce breeding sources
Personal Protection
- incentives are needed (subsidies, tax breaks) to build gazebos
or screened porches, repair window screens, purchase kitchen
tents, etc.
- building codes could be updated to require screened-in areas
in new buildings
- incentives could be provided (subsidies/remove sales tax?)
to purchase mosquito net clothing
- continue to educate (wear long, loose, light clothing and
non-toxic repellent, and avoid exposures from dusk to
dawn)
Natural Predators: a healthy bird population is our best defence
against West Nile virus
- If the City were to stop applying toxins regularly, residents
could be encouraged to support the return of natural predators,
such as:
- dragonflies and other flying insects (contact CROW Inc.
for dragonfly pond instructions)
- purple martins, bats and other birds (Did you know? Humans
are not usually the mosquito's first choice for a blood
meal. If more birds were around, fewer humans would be bitten.)
- nematodes, frogs and larvae-eating fish
Natural Repellents
- Many plants have repellent properties. Some work while planted
in the ground, and others are processed and used in herbal repellents:
- cedarwood, garlic, lemongrass, frankincense, cinnamon,
basil, rosemary, cloves, peppermint, lemon balm, onions,
feverfew, thyme
- scented geraniums, marigold, tomato, eucalyptus
- citrosa, lemon thyme, citronella grass, tansy
- Rubbing freshly picked sage leaves on the skin and clothing
also works
Larviciding
- a sonar device is now available which is said to kill only
mosquito larvae
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