One of the most often-heard complaints from campers this year is that the mosquitoes are bad, so bad at times, that campers are giving up and coming home early.
It is a bumper year for mosquitoes says Curtis Fediuk of Duka Environmental Services, who treat city of Kimberley lands for mosquitoes. It’s particularly bad in areas like Wasa where some fields beside the Kootenay River flooded during high water in the spring and have yet to completely drain.
The good news for Kimberley itself is that most problem areas have now been treated.
“There was a lot more water this year than at the beginning of the season last year,” Fediuk said. “The first helicopter treatment we did a little more than normal. We have now treated water, a couple of aerial treatments and staff is out each week sampling. We treat about eight to ten sites per week, including permanent areas where it doesn’t drain.”
There are things you can do to reduce mosquito problems in your yard. This includes taking a look for anything that could hold water, like a bucket or a tarp covering a woodpile. Eliminate those sources of water and you eliminate mosquitoes in your area.
For a repellent, Fediuk recommends citronella candles, which keep mosquitoes away or coils, which kill them.
“Another tip is to put a fan on your deck — mosquitoes are not great flyers. And if you put a misting stick in front of the fan, that’s a double whammy. It’s a good non-chemical way to keep them away.”
The hot weather is both good and bad, Fediuk says.
“Hot weather will make mosquitoes more active but it’s also a natural killer of adult mosquitoes. And it will help dry out the standing water.”
In the meantime, wear loose-fitting, light clothing and try to avoid being outside and dawn and dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.