Winnipeggers sign up for buffer zones ahead of mosquito fogging

A number of Winnipeggersare signing up for buffer zones now that the city is set to begin spraying for mosquitoes.

Ken Nowalsky, head of the city's insect control branch, saida few people came in to register Thursday morning and already there are400 properties withthe protectivezones.

Spraying is prohibitedwithin 90 metres of those homes with buffer zones.

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CBC News reporter Meaghan Ketchesonwas at the Insect Control Branch on WaverleyStreet and spoke to asenior couple, who said they registered becausethey just planted their vegetable garden and want the produce to stay organic.

The city says it extended thehours on Wednesday and Thursday in order for people toregister for buffer zones. It wants to process as many applications as possible and is giving priority toresidents who live in areas set for immediatefogging.

"We are working hard to get them completed before we conduct fogging in their areas," Lisa Fraser, a city spokeswoman stated in an email to CBC.

Spraying starts Thursday night

The city has said it willdeploy malathion fogging trucks starting Thursday night after mosquito trap counts shot up. Rains on the weekend are partly to blame, causingmore mosquito eggs to hatch, the city said.

In order to spray, the city's AFA (Adulticiding Factor Analysis) rating needs to be rated as high. The rating is affected by several factors:

• Soil moisture conditions.
• Forecasted rainfall.
• Percentage of nuisance adult mosquitoes collected from traps.
• Current stage of adult mosquito generation.
• Current status of larval developmentand the outlook for adult mosquito emergence in the short term.

As fortrap counts, at least one needs to have a minimum of100 female adult mosquitoes and the city-wide average trap count must be at least 25 for three consecutive nights.

The trap counts sat at an average of 137 across the city on Tuesday night, with Fort Richmond hitting awhopping 1,264.

As of Thursday morning,trap counts in the south and southwest were averaging 300,Nowalsky said. There will be targeted fogging in those areas where the numbers are high to try and make it tolerable.

Crews will be in the following insect management areas (IMAs), starting at 9:30 p.m. Thursday20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33.

To find out which IMA you live in, check here.

Anyone who doesn't want their propertyfogged can apply for a buffer zone in writing, by fax, by email, or in person at the Waverleyoffice. To find out how, check this link to the city's website.