You're not the only one who has a mosquito problem: increased standing water has led to an invasion of mosquitoes across the region, even prompting the City of Dauphin to detail some of their mosquito control measures.
The City of Dauphin says though fogging looks like an obvious solution to the problem, it would only be a temporary solution. Fogging only targets flying adult mosquitoes, and does not affect eggs or larvae developing in standing water, which is the main problem.
Dauphin Recreation Services normally conducts mosquito larviciding for the City to target hotspots before they're an issue. They completed some of their larviciding before the flood, but the massive increase in standing water has reduced the effectiveness of those treatments by creating uncountable new breeding sites for mosquitoes.
The City says fogging is not an ideal solution because it involves pesticides, which can seriously damage beneficial insects, like butterflies and bees. It also requires very careful management of areas where residents request no fogging.
Though, there is some good news: these mosquitoes are consiered nuisance mosquiotes, meaning they're a different species than ones that carry serious diseases including the West Nile virus. The City asks that residents help reduce mosquito breeding by eliminating standing water where they can, and to protect themselves by using bug spray and wearing long clothes when spending time outdoors.
