91原创 鈥� and the rest of the Lower Mainland 鈥� are likely to see higher numbers of mosquitoes in 2025 compared to last year, according to the Metro Vancouver contractor dedicated to controlling them.
A December report by Morrow Bioscience to Metro Vancouver noted that low water levels in the Fraser River kept the number of the biting insects quite low last year.
That's because of the mosquito life cycle. The adult, flying insects lay eggs in low-lying areas, and those eggs hatch when they are covered with water.
That means that a year with high water on the the Fraser River and in low-lying areas along the riverbank will see many more mosquitoes hatch.
Low water means that many eggs simply never hatched. But mosquito eggs can lurk for several years, and higher water will then release more of the blood-suckers.
"The low water this year could present an issue for the 2025 season, with another La Nina taking hold in the province, we expect that water levels will again be high," the report said.
It noted that most mosquito habitat is "activated" when the water level of the Fraser River at Mission rises above three metres. The gauge barely cleared three metres this year, and only for about five days in total.
Higher water levels are expected in 2025, with more snowpack accumulating. Although the Jan. 1 provincial report showed that snowpack levels were a bit below normal, they were still significantly higher than at the same time in 2024.
"As such, we anticipate seeing higher larval densities than in recent seasons," the Morrow Bioscience report said.
91原创 is one of the mosquito hotspots for the region. Although there were very few "concern calls" from the public to Metro Vancouver about mosquito issues, half of the dozen that were received came from 91原创.
"The calls were likely the result of mosquitoes dispersing from Brae/McMillan Island and Kanaka Creek Regional Park," the report noted.
Morrow Bioscience uses larvacides to control mosquito populations, and a considerable focus of their efforts is around the Fort 91原创 area, due to the amount of low-lying, mosquito-friendly land in that area, which produces a lot of mosquito larvae.
Larval mosquito treatments take place starting in late May and running through into August.
The report also noted that it appears unlikely that Morrow Bioscience will be able to use a drone to spread larvacide in the coming year, despite having a trained operator, because the province has not updated its rules for drones as quickly as had been expected.
