Alternative mosquitos control trap project not renewed for summer 2022

Sophie Demers

 

Every year from April to September Gatineau implements a biological mosquito control program in the districts that have requested it. The program involves spreading biopesticide Bti in the air or the ground where mosquito larvae nest. There are restrictions that prohibit spreading of Bti biopesticide in areas with vulnerable or endangered species that would be affected by it.
None of the Aylmer Districts will be receiving the treatment as it was not requested by citizens. The districts that implement the program pay for the service. In 2020, the program cost $12.70 per 21,110 properties in the treated area.
Pointe-Gatineau, Carrefour-de-l'Hôpital, du Versant, de Bellevue, Lac-Beauchamp, Rivière-Blanche, and Masson-Angers are the current districts that participate in the mosquito control program.
Last year, the city launched a pilot project to test an alternate method of controlling mosquitoes. The project consisted of installing 17 traps in McLaurin Bay. The efficiency rates of the traps were between 12% and 32%, and 20% of captured species were not the target of the traps. Gatineau says that the pilot will not be renewed in 2022, as the conditions for a comparable project are not currently in place.
In order to reduce the number or mosquitos in your environment, Gatineau recommends eliminating standing water and maintaining the upkeep of surroundings, ensuring that trash is covered, and keeping bird baths and pools well maintained.