The smackdown on mosquitoes
Only three things are certain in this world
JACQUES MARCOUX
You might recall all the hustle and bustle a few years ago when the City of Winnipeg announced the hiring of Taz Stuart as the new entomologist for the Community Services Department Insect Control Branch. Having held the same position for the City of Regina for over 12 years prior, he brought along a wealth of knowledge and innovative approaches to Insect Control. Hired during the peak mosquito season, Stuart was eaten alive (no pun intended) by the citizens of this city. Maybe it was his long, Howard Stern-style hair. Or perhaps it was his relatively new methods of mosquito control. But one thing is certain: Winnipeg was quick to muzzle Stuart that summer. Being thrown into his new position with the nearly impossible duty of ridding the city of mosquitoes during peak levels is a test that could bring even the strongest of men to tears. Winnipeggers were not ready to tolerate or even consider trivial methods of insect control. No. They wanted their fix. Let the fogging begin.
Winnipeg is the only major Canadian city that still uses malathion as a means to control the “nuisance” that is the mosquito population. Note that the term ‘nuisance’ refers to mosquitoes that cause discomfort to humans. When you consider that malathion is only effective for one to two days following its application, is it really justifiable to go with the nuisance program, given the potential health risks involved with spraying this pesticide? In order for a provincial pesticide use permit to be obtained, a city-wide trap count must average at least 25 female mosquitoes for three consecutive nights. We should count our blessings that the city generally does not follow through with spraying until the levels average close to 100. Otherwise, we would likely see fogging trucks on the city roads in mid-February.
The City of Winnipeg has a policy allowing city residents to register for a buffer zone, giving approximately 100 meter radius of protection against the direct application of malathion, the nerve toxin used to kill mosquitoes. This is not perfect, since a simple gust of wind can blow it over onto another property, but thus far it has been enough to appease those opposed the use of pesticides. Over 1,500 residents have now signed up for the buffer zone, the largest concentration of registered households being found in the Wolseley and Fort Rouge areas. Because of the sheer number of buffer zone registrants, those neighbourhoods are undemocratically pesticide-free. This has essentially created a safe haven for mosquitoes right in the core of the city. This puts the entire effectiveness of the use of malathion in question. Yet the Province of Manitoba Health Order has the right to override these buffer zones in the event of potential health hazards, and has invoked this power over the past few summers due to the presence of the West Nile Virus. It is estimated that less than one per cent of mosquitoes carry the virus. Furthermore, even upon infection by the virus, the chances of developing serious illness or even death are small.
According the Pest Management Regulatory Agency, a division of Health Canada, malathion has been in use since 1953 and is safe in low volume applications. The toxin has routinely been tested every decade or so to ensure that it continues to meet the health standards of the present day. In fact, it is one of the most controlled pesticides available in Canada. We need to ask ourselves: are the benefits of comfort during the summer months and a questionably futile attempt at controlling the West Nile Virus levels worth the potential health hazards from the absorption of chemical pesticides in the human body? The scientific community almost unanimously agrees that there is a correlation between exposure to pesticides and the development of cancer cells. Despite Health Canada’s green light on the use of malathion, we should be very wary about its use, especially in urban areas. Will this become a product that, 20 years down the road, we will look back upon and regret having been so ignorant as to believe that spraying pesticides into the air we breathe posed no danger?
Winnipeg is geographically located on a clay-based swamp, which is ideal ground for unbridled mosquito reproduction. Therefore, it is not uncommon for someone to literally be engulfed in clouds of insects. This is our reality. We must learn to live with it. The City of Winnipeg has plans to phase out the use of malathion and adopt an environmentally friendly and biological solution by 2009; a project spearheaded by Stuart himself. At last Winnipeg will be on board with the rest of the country.
In this world, only three things are certain: death, taxes, and mosquitoes in Winnipeg
Jacques Marcoux is a fourth-year commerce student.
