Rainy summer in Calgary fuels mosquito boom
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Mosquitoes begin life as eggs laid in or near water. Once hatched, they develop underwater as larvae — sometimes called wrigglers — and feed on organic matter. They then enter a pupal stage before emerging as flying adults. In the right conditions, the full life cycle can take as little as a week.
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Only female mosquitoes bite, and they do so to get the protein needed to develop their eggs. Once they feed, they lay eggs and start the cycle over again.
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The most common mosquito in Calgary is the Aedes vexans, commonly known as the floodwater mosquito, Soghigian said. Other common species include the Aedes dorsalis, or summer salt marsh mosquito, and the Culex pipiens, better known as the northern house mosquito.
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The Culex pipiens is an invasive species native to Europe and North Africa and has been in North America for 300 to 400 years. But until recently, it was restricted to eastern Canadian provinces such as Ontario and Quebec, as well as coastal B.C.
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'There is some concern about them spreading West Nile virus, which is why I suggest to people that if they're going out at dusk and planning to spend time outdoors, it's a good idea to use bug spray,' Soghigian said.
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The species was first found in Edmonton in 2018, where it has since become well-established, before being detected in Calgary in 2022. Experts are working to determine what's driving the spread of the species — whether it's adapting to local conditions or responding to climate change.
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To help track the northern house mosquito, Soghigian and his team are running a citizen science project called Skeeter Seekers at the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary and Ralph Klein Park. Visitors are invited to help collect samples and submit them for research.
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'We don't really know what that mosquito is doing in Calgary yet, so that's one reason we're asking people to help us,' he said.
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Vancouver Sun
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