City of PG reminding residents of steps taken to control mosquitoes, invasive plants

The City of Prince George is once again taking steps to reduce some of the undesirable species of plants and insects found around the city.

For 25 years the City has ran a mosquito control program that aims to reduce their burden to humans, and staff are also working to limit the number of invasive plants in the area.

“Each year, mosquito control is contracted to a company that specializes in mosquito treatment. This includes treating prime mosquito habitat from the air using a helicopter,” said Claire Watkins, an environmental technician with the City’s Environmental Service Division.

PG’s mosquito program only addresses larvae and does not deal with the insects once they hatch into flying adults.

Last year the mosquito control program ran from April 25th through July 5th, and 426 hectares were treated with just over 1945 kilograms of larvicide.

Prince George only runs a nuisance mosquito control program, as mosquito-borne diseases like West Nile and Zika virus are not present in the area.

Watkins says this may be because northern BC summers are not long enough to allow for the multiple mosquito generations necessary for viruses to persist.

Similar steps have been taken to remove invasive plants, and methods for dealing with invasive species may include anything from hand-pulling, digging, deadheading, mowing, or using herbicide.

Currently, Prince George has a problem with common tansy, a yellow flowering perennial that is invading quickly.

“We need to rely on residents to help us by reporting locations and working to eliminate this plant on their property,” said Watkins, who added: “other plants we are concerned about include burdock, knotweed, and leafy spurge.”

Residents can report invasive plants online, and as always, are encouraged to eliminate standing water that could provide a breeding ground for mosquitoes.