Cool, damp spring has Prince George preparing for 'long' mosquito season

Claire Watkins, an environmental technician with the City of Prince George, has her work cut out for her in coming weeks. Watkins is one of the people responsible for dealing with mosquitoes in the city, and this year, the number of biting bugs is expected to be big.

A cool, damp spring, combined with a large amount of snowmelt has given mosquitoes the perfect opportunity to breed this year, according to Watkins.

Though their mosquito trapping program has just begun and detailed numbers aren't yet available, she says she knows there are already a lot of mosquitoes in the region.

"With the amount of rain that we've been having, we've been seeing fluctuating river levels which in some areas in Prince George can add to what we call flood water mosquitoes," she told Daybreak North host Carolina de Ryk.

"If we continue with this cool, moist, damp weather, they're with us for the long haul here this summer."

The City runs a mosquito control programin which it hires a contracting company to check pooling water for mosquito larvae.

If they find larvae, they use a bacterial larvicide to kill them before they can grow into hungry adults. They also use a helicopter to treat prime mosquito habitats.

When it comes to managing mosquito populations, the burden isn't just on the city. There are things property owners can do to ensure mosquitoes don't take over their yards.

First, make sure gutters are free of debris that can trap moisture.

"Just make sure that there's the least amount of standing water that you can have," Watkins said.

Watkins says she's tried every mosquito repellent on the marketand believes anything with DEET works best when it comes to keeping mosquitoes away.

She also recommends mosquito repelling lamps and candles for any time homeowners are outside andswears by not consuming bananas during mosquito season.

"There's something in bananas that apparently comes out your pores and it's an attractant to the mosquitoes," she said.

The effectiveness of certain foods for repelling or attracting mosquitoes has not been proven, according to Harvard researchers.