City of Brandon Annual Mosquito Surveillance Program Underway


June 14, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Brandon, MB – The City of Brandon’s Community Services Department wishes to inform the public that its annual Mosquito Surveillance and Abatement Program is now underway. The City of Brandon has undertaken a Mosquito Surveillance and Abatement Program for many decades to aid in the control of nuisance mosquitoes during the height of the summer season. The program relies largely on larval control methods, with standing pools of water closely monitored by Community Services staff and then treated with biological larvicide.

Since late-May, City of Brandon staff have been monitoring a number of standing pools of water located across the community and have been treating areas with the 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. The first four weeks of mosquito trap counts have been updated on the City of Brandon’s Mosquito Abatement Program Information page, located at http://www.brandon.ca/mosquito-abatement/mosquito-abatement-program. Trap counts recorded to date are reflective of the early stage of nuisance mosquito season and therefore, no adult mosquito control (fogging) is scheduled at this time.

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.

In accordance with recent 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). Use of this product will replace the City of Brandon’s practice of fogging with malathion, which is no longer available for sale in Canada. 

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.

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.

As always, private property owners can play a very important role in reducing the potential for adult mosquito populations on their property in a number of ways, including:

 • dumping out any containers of standing water;

 • draining any eavestroughing;

 • covering rain water collection containers;

 • filling in any low-lying areas;

 • treating problem areas with biological larvicide

Residents and visitors to Brandon can also ease the annoyance of pest mosquitoes by using repellants, wearing light-coloured clothing, limiting your time outside between the hours between dusk and dawn and using screened-in areas.