If you’re thinking about moving to Canada, you have to prepare for the little things. The really little things. Mosquitos. These insect pests are nearly unavoidable during Canada’s warm season.
At Remitly, we’re committed to supporting immigrants in their transition to a new country. This article details everything that newcomers to Canada need to know to prepare for mosquito season, avoid mosquito bites, and prevent the illnesses and diseases associated with the insects.
How to prepare for Canada’s mosquito season
In most parts of Canada, mosquitoes are common during the warm months from May to September. These small, flying insects bite humans and cause itchiness and irritation. Learning how to avoid mosquito bites will make your time in Canada much more enjoyable.
Overview of mosquito challenges
When mosquitoes bite humans, their saliva causes a small immune response in our skin. This results in a visible red bump that is often accompanied by itchiness or irritation. A mosquito bite becomes its itchiest about 24-48 hours after the bite. From there, it will reduce over the next three to four days. This means that a bite could be bothering you for about a week in total.
Aside from the small annoyance of the bite, mosquitoes present more serious health risks to humans. Because mosquitoes interact with human blood, they can transmit a number of serious diseases. The diseases associated with mosquitoes often vary based on where the mosquito population lives.
The importance of preparation and prevention
The best way to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne diseases is to prevent mosquito bites. There are three ways to prevent mosquito bites, all of which will be discussed in this article:
- Controlling the mosquito population
- Preventing mosquitoes from entering your immediate area
- Preventing mosquitoes from biting you
Understanding mosquitoes: behaviour and peak activity
Mosquitoes have been pests since the dawn of time. Or, if not that long, at least since 100 million years ago during the Cretaceous period. This means that mosquitoes have been around since dinosaurs were roaming the earth.
Since then, mosquitoes have taken the world by storm. They are found in almost every country, with the exception of Iceland and Antarctica. They’ve evolved to survive in many different habitats, including freshwater, saltwater, and urban environments.
Mosquito life cycle and active months
The life cycle of the mosquito consists of four separate stages. Their active months are during the mosquito’s adult stage, when they can fly and mate. Mosquitoes usually reach adulthood during warm weather months.
- Egg: A mosquito’s life begins when an egg is laid. A mosquito’s early life is aquatic and mosquitoes always lay their eggs in standing water. This can be anything from a tiny puddle to a large body of water like a pond or lake. Mosquitoes might also lay their eggs in damp places or areas that might be filled with water.
- Larva: When the egg hatches, larvae appear. Mosquito larvae are commonly referred to as “wigglers.” The larvae live in water, feeding on microorganisms and organic matter. As they feed, the larvae grow bigger, moulting several times in the process.
- Pupa: After the larvae have eaten their fill and grown as large as possible, the mosquito enters the pupal stage. They stop feeding and enter a short dormant period where they transform into their adult form. This process is similar to the pupal stage of butterflies.
- Adult: Finally, the adult mosquito emerges from its pupa and can start to fly and mate. This is also the stage when female mosquitoes bite humans and other animals to access a blood meal and prepare to lay eggs. Male mosquitoes do not bite.
The life cycle of a mosquito can range from 4 days to a month. Usually, it lasts a few weeks. The length of the life cycle depends on various factors like type of mosquito, water temperature, food availability, etc.
Environmental conditions favouring mosquitoes
So, what are the best factors for a mosquito’s life cycle? Understanding the conditions that favour mosquitoes will ultimately help you to avoid them.
- Water: Because mosquitoes start off as aquatic insects, water is an essential part of their habitat. Standing water or water that is not moving typically attracts mosquitoes. Wet or damp environments, like plant pots with saucers and clogged gutters, can also attract them.
- Temperature: Mosquitoes love warm weather. They’ll thrive in any temperature from 20-30°C, with their preferred temperature being 26.67°C. Mosquitoes cannot live in colder temperatures. They become lethargic at around 16°C and cannot function at 10°C or less.
- Smells: Adult female mosquitoes are always searching for their next blood meal. They’ve evolved to be attracted to smells that are associated with the humans and animals that they bite, like sweat and exhaled carbon dioxide. They are also attracted to sweet smells, like floral or fruity scents.
Protect yourself from mosquitoes
The best way to avoid mosquito-borne illnesses and diseases is to prevent mosquito bites. You can protect yourself and your family by focusing on three different strategies: controlling the mosquito population, mosquito-proofing your area, and preventing bites to your person.
Tips for controlling mosquito breeding
The easiest way to control the mosquito population in your area is to reduce breeding opportunities for mosquitoes. Remember, the beginning stages of a mosquito’s life are aquatic. By removing any standing water in your immediate area, you’ll reduce the possibility of mosquitoes breeding near your property.
- Keep your gutters clean to prevent water from pooling.
- Empty out tire swings after rain or avoid tire swings altogether.
- Store flower pots, watering cans, boats, and wheelbarrows upside down.
- If you have outdoor pet dishes or bird baths, replace the water at least twice a week.
- Cover garbage, recycling, and composting containers to prevent water from pooling.
- If you have containers that have to be left outdoors, ensure that they have holes in the bottom or drill holes in the bottom for drainage.
- Empty rain barrels if the water is over a week old.
- Keep swimming pools clean and chlorinated even if they are not in use.
You can also prevent mosquitoes from breeding by introducing their natural predators, which include fish, frogs, beetles, dragonflies, water bugs, and birds that live on or around water.
If absolutely necessary, you can treat standing water with approved pesticides to prevent mosquitoes.
Protective measures for outdoor areas
Although controlling the mosquito population is the number one way to prevent the spread of disease, you can also follow some practical measures to repel mosquitoes. These tips can help ensure that you’re able to enjoy your spaces without the annoying buzz of mosquitoes.
- Use a bug zapper to trap mosquitoes.
- Use electronic mosquito repellents.
- Place lanterns, coils, and sprays around outdoor areas to repel mosquitoes.
- Garden with plants that naturally repel mosquitoes. These are plants that have strong herbal smells, like citronella, marigolds, basil, and mint.
- Ensure that your windows and doors have screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering your indoor spaces.
Personal protection measures
The final step to preventing mosquito bites is to protect your person. This can be done in several different ways.
- In situations where you think you might come into contact with mosquitoes, opt for loose-fitting long pants and tops with long sleeves to minimize exposed skin.
- Use insect repellent like DEET or lemon eucalyptus oil.
- Dress infants in clothing that covers the arms and legs. Cover strollers and baby carriers with mosquito netting.
Importance of mosquito control and safety
When a mosquito bites a human to access their blood, certain germs and diseases present in that person’s blood can be transferred to the next person the mosquito bites. Any sickness that spreads through mosquitoes between humans or between humans and animals is referred to as a mosquito-borne disease.
Mosquito-borne diseases and risks
Around the world, mosquito-borne diseases cause a lot of human suffering. The diseases you can get from mosquitoes differ by location. Some of the most common mosquito-borne diseases globally are malaria, dengue, West Nile virus, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika. Each year, millions of people are affected by these illnesses.
Luckily, few of these diseases are present in Canada, which is not considered a high-risk region for mosquito-borne diseases. West Nile virus has been observed in Canada, but luckily, 70-80% of people who come into contact with the virus do not have symptoms. If you do develop symptoms, you can expect fever, headache, and mild rashes about 2-15 days after infection.
Local control programs working towards safety
Around the world, there are formal systemic movements to help prevent the spread of mosquito-borne diseases and work towards mosquito safety. Here are some of the efforts taking place in Canada:
- The Mosquito Working Group: This is a collaborative forum that brings together academics, municipal representatives, public health officials, and policymakers to tackle the mosquito issue in Canada.
- The National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health: This centre provides knowledge within Canada’s public health community. They recently launched a project to collect information and raise awareness about mosquito-borne diseases.
- The Public Health Agency of Canada: This government-funded agency works with partners to monitor the risk of mosquito-borne diseases in Canada.
Final tips for a mosquito-free season
Canada’s spring and summer can be a wonderful time to get out in nature and explore the great outdoors. Don’t let mosquitos ruin that experience — make sure that you’re following these easy steps to prevent mosquito bites.
- Minimize standing water on and around your property.
- Garden with herby plants that repel mosquitoes.
- Use approved personal insect repellents according to their instructions.
- Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.
- Use mosquito netting where appropriate during outdoor activities.
- Fix or replace screening on your windows and doors to prevent mosquitoes from entering your house.
FAQs
What smells do mosquitoes hate?
Mosquitoes hate strong, herby, fresh smells. Many garden herbs will naturally repel mosquitoes. Try citronella, rosemary, lemon balm, coffee grounds, lavender, catnip, garlic, eucalyptus, peppermint, or marigolds.
Can taking vitamin B12 help prevent mosquitoes from biting me?
Although some anecdotal evidence suggests that taking vitamin B12 could dissuade mosquitoes from biting you, this is not supported by scientific studies. That being said, healthy levels of vitamin B12 can support your health in other ways.
What regions in Canada have the most mosquitoes?
Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Manitoba are known for having huge mosquito populations. In fact, in 2011, Edmonton was named the “mosquito capital of Canada.” Break out the insect repellent if you’re headed to one of these cities!