Mosquito fogging slated for tonight in Brandon
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on brandonsun.com
- Read the Brandon Sun E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
*Your next Free Press subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Mosquito fogging in Brandon will start at 9:30 p.m. tonight and last for about seven hours, weather permitting.
The city will not fog if it is raining, the temperature dips below 13 C or the wind speed is more than 16 kilometres an hour.
The Environment and Climate Change Canada forecast for Wednesday night was projecting a low of 18 C with a 60 per cent chance of showers, as of Tuesday afternoon.
City of Brandon parks director Bryce Wilson speaks at city council on Monday evening. Wilson said the city has typically seen between 35 and 60 people register for an exemption from fogging near their properties. (Alex Lambert/The Brandon Sun)
If fogging is postponed due to weather, the public will be notified and the work will be rescheduled for the next suitable evening, the city said in a news release Tuesday.
Parks director Bryce Wilson said fogging is weather-dependent because the product can become less effective if it is not able to stay in the air for long.
The DeltaGard pesticide uses the active ingredient deltamethrin, which is unlikelly to affect human health, an undated fact sheet on the city’s website says. The product is applied as fine droplets that don’t readily drift and deposit, and typically evaporate while in the air.
He said 31 people had applied for buffer zones as of late Tuesday morning, and residents have a deadline of 11 a.m. today to register.
Crews plan to fog on every city street, aside from sections where a buffer zone is in place.
The buffer zone extends 90 metres from a person’s property.
“We’ll go on every city street, and if there’s a buffer zone, we turn it off when we’re in the buffer zone area, and then fire back up on that street,” Wilson said.
People can apply for the buffer zone on the city’s online registration form or in person at the city’s parks complex at 2020 McGregor Ave. No medical concerns are needed to register.
Wilson said the city has typically seen between 35 and 60 people register for an exemption in the past.
People must re-register for the buffer zone every year, the city said in the press release.
The DeltaGard pesticide’s exposure to bees, birds, mammals, fish and plants is expected to be minimal, the city said.
Residents, however, can take several precautions to minimize exposure during the fogging program.
They can close all windows and doors, turn off air-conditioning units and close vents and bring pets, laundry and toys inside before spraying starts. People can also keep pool surfaces covered when possible, rinse playing equipment with water after spraying is over and wash homegrown fruits and vegetables with water before eating or cooking them.
“Whenever possible, stay indoors during and immediately after spraying,” the city added.
A mosquito feasts on the arm of a volunteer Tuesday in a backyard in Brandon. (Matt Goerzen/The Brandon Sun)
Wilson said people may get itchy skin or the sensation that their skin is burning, though not all people would exxperience those side effects.
City crews wear a full suit, face mask and goggles when filling the product into the fogger, “just to be extra safe.”
The city’s press release also highlighted how people can reduce mosquito populations.
“Simple things like dumping out any containers of standing water, draining any eavestroughing, covering rainwater collection containers, filling in any low-lying areas or treating problem areas with biological larvicide can minimize the number of mosquitoes.”
City council voted unanimously to start fogging at Monday evening’s meeting, despite trap counts being lower than the threshold to start based on the city’s bylaw.
The councillor who made the request, Shawn Berry (Ward 7), on Monday said people need to have the option to enjoy their summers without being “eaten alive” by the annoying bugs.
The decision came against the advice of city manager Dave Wardrop, as this round of fogging will leave the department with only about enough product to spray the entire city once more.
Trap counts are typically updated twice per week during the warmer months, but the most recent trap counts are from more than a week ago.
Average counts from July 19 and 20 show averages of 628 and 262 mosquitoes respectively, well below the threshold to start fogging.
The city is working with the province, Winnipeg and Health Canada to find a solution to DeltaGard no longer being sold in Canada, though Wilson said there is not currently an update available.
» alambert@brandonsun.com