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Are there more mosquitoes this year? Due to the spring weather, the mosquito eggs all hatched at the same time. So they are there to spoil our barbecues. But beware, the worst is yet to come!
A cold, then a warm spring
According to André-Philippe Drapeau Picard, Entomological Information Officer, Montreal Insectarium, there is no doubt: the weather conditions were favorable for the reproduction of biting insects. “We had a relatively cold spring, the heat came suddenly in mid-May. The mosquitoes were probably dormant. During the heat wave they all came out at once. However, the scientist insists there is no accurate data on the number of mosquitoes in Quebec,” but their appearance One might think it has accumulated “.
After the sun … rain
Abbott Destruction General Manager Samuel Genest talks about the “incredible boom” in births during the heat wave. The problem was the heavy rains that followed the heat wave in May. When the baby mosquitoes mature after three weeks, they certainly find moist places to lay new eggs. Some species lay 50 to 300 of them. “If there is an environment of heat in the corner of Saint-Jean-Baptiste, there is a risk that all these eggs will hatch and end up with another boom,” says Mr. Genest.
Worse in some regions?
This is not a myth! For example, there are more mosquitoes in some parts of Quebec, such as Laurentians and the North Shore, than in the eastern cities. “It is connected to the available habitat,” said Mr. of Zero. Tropio Picard explains. “In southern Quebec, there was a lot of wetland, but most of it was drained for agriculture, so mosquito breeding grounds were scarce.
Is it effective or harmful?
They bite us, itching and swelling! Can we do without these unwanted pests that spoil our evenings in late summer? Not really, the answers mr. Genest! “In the food chain, mosquitoes serve as food for many organisms, such as birds and bats,” he explains. During the larval stage, they are eaten by patricians and fish. Mosquitoes also act as pollinators.
Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes
Mosquitoes in Quebec do not spread malaria, dengue or Zika. However, they can carry the West Nile virus. By 2021, 14 people will be infected with the virus, including five in Montreal, according to the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Most patients do not develop symptoms, although some do experience fever, headache, myalgia and sometimes rash. West Nile virus has been present in Quebec since 2002.
Spreading pesticides in cities?
By 2021, 42 municipalities have been authorized to spray in their area by the BTI to control the number of mosquitoes. The Ministry of Environment and the fight against climate change for 2022 could not be reached. However, some scientists are concerned about the use of this pesticide in biodiversity because mosquitoes and their larvae feed on other organisms. “What we have learned from some research in Europe is that BTI affects insects other than black flies and mosquitoes,” says Fran உற்பois Label, an agricultural producer. PTI on the label. The municipality of Laurentides has decided to stop the use of this pesticide this year.