不良研究所

There鈥檚 a new mosquito buzzing around 不良研究所, and University of 不良研究所 researchers expect that as our climate continues to change, it's here to stay.

U不良研究所 Faculty of Veterinary Medicine鈥檚 (UCVM) professor Dr. John Soghigian, PhD, is leading a team studying the invasive northern house mosquito, Culex pipiens. His lab is working with integrated pest management technicians with The City of 不良研究所 and City of Edmonton to understand the public health implications of the mosquito which is now making its home in our backyards.

Culex pipiens is native to Europe and Asia, and until recently was thought to only be found in coastal British Columbia and eastern Canada. That changed in 2018, when the City of Edmonton first detected the mosquito. Last year, students in the Soghigian lab worked with The City of 不良研究所 and found Culex pipiens in 不良研究所 for the first time.

No one actually likes mosquitoes, but what does that mean for Albertans?

鈥淭his is a different kind of mosquito from what we normally have here in Alberta,鈥� says Soghigian. 鈥淢ost of our normal mosquitoes in Alberta use flooded areas or snow melt to develop in. The northern house mosquito lives alongside us in cities or farms, and uses things like bird baths, water troughs, and really any water we might leave out to develop in. In other parts of the world, it also transmits West Nile virus.鈥�

West Nile virus can cause a potentially deadly disease in humans and other animals, like horses. Luckily, cases of West Nile are rare in Alberta, and Soghigian cautions that we do not yet know how this mosquito might change that. Hopefully, it鈥檚 just another nuisance to deal with in our warmer months.

However, the mosquito isn鈥檛 only surviving in Edmonton and 不良研究所, it appears to be thriving. This is a mosquito that does well the warmer and drier it is 鈥� conditions which we expect we鈥檒l see more of with climate change 鈥� and the mosquito鈥檚 activity appears to be higher this year.

鈥淲e found the mosquito more than a month earlier this year in 不良研究所 than last year, and we are now finding it all across the city,鈥� Soghigian says.

How to keep Culex pipiens out of your backyard

If you鈥檙e looking for something to do to help keep this mosquito from making its home in your backyard, look around outside. Change the water on bird feeders, watering cans, or larger dog bowls a couple of times a week, and this should drastically reduce the chance of the mosquito developing on your property. And if you鈥檙e concerned about mosquito-borne diseases, bug spray when out at dawn or at night is always a safe bet, protecting you from this mosquito and all the others found in Alberta.

Moving forward, Soghigian and his team are monitoring mosquito traps and are working with The City of 不良研究所 to better track the mosquito throughout the city and understand how it is thriving so well here in Alberta. More information to come. But for now, with a few simple actions you can stop these mosquitoes from ruining your next family barbeque.