Brandon’s Summer Mosquito Monitoring Program Underway


June 21, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon’s Community Services Department wishes to inform the public that it has begun its Mosquito Surveillance and Abatement Program for the 2019 summer season. The long-standing program, run annually in cooperation with Brandon University’s Biology Department, relies largely on larval control methods, but does provide for the adult nuisance mosquito control (fogging) if conditions meet the criteria. The City of Brandon will ONLY undertake adult nuisance mosquito control (fogging) IF: the City of Brandon’s Adulticiding Factor Analysis Guidelines value falls into and remains in the high category for two consecutive trap counts; OR the average of any daily mosquito trap count is more than 1,000 nuisance mosquitoes; OR if any individual trap count is more than 2,000 nuisance mosquitoes.

Currently, Community Services staff are focused on monitoring a number of standing pools of water located across the community and have been treating areas with the biological larvicide, Aquabac, as necessary. In addition, weekly mosquito trap counts are being collected from five static locations across the City in cooperation with Brandon University. To-date mosquito trap counts have been posted on the City of Brandon’s Mosquito Abatement Program Information page, located at http://www.brandon.ca/mosquito-abatement/mosquito-abatement-program. Trap counts are currently very minimal and therefore, no adult mosquito control is scheduled at this time.

In accordance with approval granted by Health Cananda’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency, the City of Brandon will undertake any potential adult nuisance mosquito control using the product, Delta Guard 20 EW (Deltamethrin). Compliant with its annual Pesticide Use Permit issued by the Province of Manitoba, the City of Brandon allows residents to register for a 90-metre buffer zone to be applied to their property in the event the City of Brandon fogs for nuisance mosquitoes. A resident’s name, address, telephone number and proof of occupancy are all required for a buffer zone application to be accepted. A medical certificate is NOT required to request a nuisance mosquito buffer zone. However, should the Province of Manitoba issue the City of Brandon a health order to spray for West Nile virus, all buffer zones will not apply. More information about the use of Delta Gard 20 EW can be found here.

The City of Brandon Nuisance Mosquito Buffer Zone application form is available for download by visiting http://www.brandon.ca/mosquito-abatement/buffer-zone-registration or can be picked up and returned to the City of Brandon Community Services Complex, 2020 McGregor Avenue. More information on the buffer zone registration process can be obtained by calling the City of Brandon Community Services Department at 204-729-2148.