Latest news with #MikeJenkins
CTV News
09-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Edmonton mosquito population ‘remarkably low': city scientist
It's good news for backyard BBQs. A City of Edmonton scientist says mosquito numbers are 'remarkably low' despite the late spring and early summer precipitation. 'We had a very low year going into the spring, there was very little snow on the ground, very little precipitation that turned into mosquito development habitat. So we saw almost no mosquitos for most of April into May,' senior city scientist Mike Jenkins told CTV News Edmonton on Wednesday. While there are fewer individual mosquitos this year, Jenkins said there is a greater variety. 'Usually around this time of year we see it switch almost entirely to the summer species, our standard crepuscular dawn and dusk biting little ankle-biter aedes vexans, but we're still seeing quite a few of a lot of other (spring) species as well' he said, adding those include some 'aggressive' daytime biters. Some of the more recent 'considerable' rainfall has helped mosquito populations grow, but Jenkins said they are still remarkably low, thanks in part to the city's treatment of breeding grounds like roadside ditches. 'The traps (outside the program area) are catching about 200 to 1,000 mosquitoes per night … that's a significant number of mosquitoes, you're getting quite a bit of biting,' he said. 'Most of the ones within the city, we're still getting like 10 to maybe 50 mosquitoes per night.' Jenkins said most of the mosquitoes in the city come from breeding grounds outside of it. However, species like the common house mosquito culex pipiens can breed in backyard bird baths, water troughs or old ponds, so residents should make sure those stay clean and cleared out. If you are already being bothered by mosquitos, Jenkins said a fan can help. 'Aedes vexans in particular doesn't really like wind,' he added. 'Having that fan going, especially if it's an oscillating one, so it's not a steady breeze, can greatly reduce their biting.' More information on the City of Edmonton's mosquito program can be found on the city's website.
CTV News
17-06-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
Low mosquito numbers in Edmonton but expert warns that could change quickly
The wet weekend weather in Edmonton has mosquito treatment program crews rushing to sites around the city where the insects are most likely to be hatching. As Edmonton continues to see spring showers, pest management experts are keeping a close eye on what it means for mosquito development. 'At this point we're not seeing a lot of adult mosquito activity,' said Mike Jenkins, a senior scientist with the City of Edmonton's Pest Management Laboratory. 'Our trap numbers are among the lowest we've had for a May period in many years,' he added. Sign up for breaking news alerts from CTV News Edmonton, right at your fingertips Jenkins said most of the mosquito activity is happening around roadside ditches, industrial parts of the city and areas with low-lying depressions. 'Roadside ditch and ground crews have been out treating those habitats, reducing the numbers of mosquito larvae that are developing in those areas and hopefully we'll continue to have low mosquito numbers going forward,' he said. 'Enjoy the lack of mosquitoes," Jenkins said. Mike Jenkins Mike Jenkins checks a mosquito trap on May 23, 2024. (Matt Marshall, CTV News Edmonton) Conditions have been ideal for keeping not just mosquitoes away but Jenkins said are also keeping the number of yellow jackets and ants low. 'That could change drastically,' said Jenkins. 'If we get a lot of precipitation coming in in June, if we get high temperatures that increase both the development of mosquitoes but also ramps up the development for yellow jackets and ants,' he said. Jenkins said the Aedes Vexans species that develop in summer conditions can go from nothing to biting in less than a week with enough rain. 'A dormant egg that has been sitting there for five to 10 years, that can be triggered by a rainfall and it goes through its cycle of larval stages and emerges as an adult within four to five days,' he said. The Culex Pipiens is another species Edmonton mosquito experts are watching. It was discovered a few years ago and Jenkins said it's a species known to carry the West Nile Virus. 'We did get some West Nile cases in Alberta last year but not in the Edmonton area,' said Jenkins. It's a species linked more to temperature than rainfall and habitats usually develop in standing water around people's property, in things like bird baths, eaves troughs, old tires and uncovered rain barrels. 'Make sure that those aren't acting as a mosquito development site,' said Jenkins. 'Empty the water out of them. If you have a bird bath in particular, change the water at least once a week,' he added. He said crews are finding more Cuelax Pipiens in Edmonton every year and that the city is developing a plan on how to best address the increase. Mike Jenkins Mike Jenkins checks a new carbon dioxide mosquito trap being used in Edmonton. (Matt Marshall/CTV News Edmonton) The city has also started using new traps to collect mosquito data. 'We've now switched entirely to carbon dioxide baited traps,' said Jenkins. The traps are battery powered giving crews more flexibility on where they can be put up, and use carbon dioxide instead of a light bulb to attract mosquitos. 'Rather than having all the flies and moths and everything else that gets attracted to the light bulbs we get a sample that is pretty much just mosquitoes,' Jenkins said. 'As we catch them they're actually still alive and so they're very good specimens, we can do things like virus sampling and stuff on those specimens rather than with the light traps where they've been sitting dead for a week,' he added.
CBC
14-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Keeping Dutch elm disease in check
In August, 2024, Dutch elm disease was found in Edmonton for the first time. Since its introduction from Europe to North America in the 1930s, the disase has destroyed millions of elm trees. Mike Jenkins tells what plans the city has for managing the pest this summer. He is a senior scientist in the city's Integrated Pest Management Lab.
CBC
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Superfans gather to hear resurfaced tape of Nirvana's now-famed Calgary concert
Social Sharing Stacy Krisa was only a year old when Nirvana played Calgary's Westward Club 34 years ago, but on Thursday, she got to experience the next best thing: a listening party for a resurfaced bootleg tape from the now-famed show. "This is the best night of my life," she said, overcome with emotion. "Like actually, I'm not even kidding. I might cry because I love Nirvana so much. "Honestly, tonight felt like I was at an actual Nirvana concert." The tape, played at Calgary's Ship & Anchor pub, was recently uncovered by Nirvana super fan Mike Jenkins, first reported by CBC News. Jenkins found the tape at a Calgary collectors' show and learned it was a copy of the original. That tape was recorded on March 4, 1991, by Jason (Jay) Pay on his father's Dictaphone "I kind of stood at the back of the room and just watched everyone enjoy it, and I really didn't expect everyone to enjoy a bootleg so much," Jenkins said. He played a big part in organizing the event, and to accompany the tape, he compiled a video, which featured footage of past Nirvana concerts. "Usually when something like this comes up, it just goes on the internet, and you know that's out there and people are sitting at home listening to it and [can] skip through it," Jenkins said. "But tonight was really about taking the time, listening to the music and experiencing what happened back in Calgary in 1991. And I think that's really special with the way it was set up … the speakers blasting and everyone enjoying." The concert's set list included: Love Buzz, Sliver, Dive, Floyd the Barber, Breed, Scoff, About a Girl, School, Swap Meet, Been a Son, Negative Creep, Blew, Lithium, Molly's Lips, Territorial Pissings, Spank Thru and possibly the last live performance of Mr. Moustache. The quality of the tape, heard in public for the first time at Thursday night's listening party, was way better than expected, said Arif Ansari of the Calgary Cassette Preservation Society, one of the party's sponsors. "It was a really, really great night. It was so fun to see the audience just going like bonkers over that." True to the spirit of Pay's original recording, Ansari manoeuvred through the crowd with a Dictaphone in hand, capturing people singing along to the 1991 bootleg. "Jay recorded the set on a Dictaphone like 34 years ago. So I'm like, well, what if I record 'Nirvana live at the Westward: Live at the Ship & Anchor' on a Dictaphone?" On a plain memory lane Mike Bell, author of the substack Sound Up YYC and former music reviewer for the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun, was at the now-famed concert. Nirvana performed at the Beltline venue mere months before releasing one of the best-selling albums of all-time, Nevermind. Though the show has now reached legend-status for many in Calgary, Bell said he didn't actually remember it as "anything spectacular," adding "it was just another rock show." I went to hundreds of [shows] at that time, be it at the Westward Club, be it at the Republic, the Night Gallery, all of those. And, you never know, right? You never know what's going to be big," Bell said. But then you see Nirvana and you go, 'Wow, you know what? I was pretty lucky to see that.'" In keeping with the promise that Pay had made to Kurt Cobain to never sell the tape, Jenkins and the organizers kept the event free for all to enjoy. The event was also a fundraiser for the Distress Centre Calgary and BAM! Camp Calgary. Come as you are Along with the folks who lived through Nirvana's prime, a younger generation of die-hard Nirvana fans also got to experience the show at Thursday's listening party. Ashton Terry wasn't even born yet when the Seattle band took the Westward Club stage, but he said he's been a fan since he was five, hearing Nirvana's songs through his father. He described the opportunity to hear the tape of them playing in Calgary as "just beautiful." "Of course, there's the rock aspect to it where you just want to, like, dance, you want to bob your head and all that," he said, after the party. "But if you think about it, like, you're seeing Kurt Cobain in his prime of passion, you know, before the fame got to him, before all the tours, all the money got to him. It was before he blew up. So you're seeing his true passion, the reason why he made the music he did." While Thursday's event was for folks over 21, the Ship & Anchor is hosting another listening party for the tape on Saturday, May 31, for all ages at 5:30 p.m.
Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Superfans gather to hear resurfaced tape of Nirvana's now-famed Calgary concert
Stacy Krisa was only a year old when Nirvana played Calgary's Westward Club 34 years ago, but on Thursday, she got to experience the next best thing: a listening party for a resurfaced bootleg tape from the now-famed show. "This is the best night of my life," she said, overcome with emotion. "Like actually, I'm not even kidding. I might cry because I love Nirvana so much. "Honestly, tonight felt like I was at an actual Nirvana concert." The tape, played at Calgary's Ship & Anchor pub, was recently uncovered by Nirvana super fan Mike Jenkins, first reported by CBC News. Jenkins found the tape at a Calgary collectors' show and learned it was a copy of the original. That tape was recorded on March 4, 1991, by Jason (Jay) Pay on his father's Dictaphone "I kind of stood at the back of the room and just watched everyone enjoy it, and I really didn't expect everyone to enjoy a bootleg so much," Jenkins said. He played a big part in organizing the event, and to accompany the tape, he compiled a video, which featured footage of past Nirvana concerts. "Usually when something like this comes up, it just goes on the internet, and you know that's out there and people are sitting at home listening to it and [can] skip through it," Jenkins said. "But tonight was really about taking the time, listening to the music and experiencing what happened back in Calgary in 1991. And I think that's really special with the way it was set up … the speakers blasting and everyone enjoying." The concert's set list included: Love Buzz, Sliver, Dive, Floyd the Barber, Breed, Scoff, About a Girl, School, Swap Meet,Been a Son, Negative Creep, Blew, Lithium, Molly's Lips, Territorial Pissings, Spank Thru and possibly the last live performance of Mr. Moustache. LISTEN | Jason (Jay) Pay talks about recording Nirvana at the Westward: The quality of the tape, heard in public for the first time at Thursday night's listening party, was way better than expected, said Arif Ansari of the Calgary Cassette Preservation Society, one of the party's sponsors. "It was a really, really great night. It was so fun to see the audience just going like bonkers over that." True to the spirit of Pay's original recording, Ansari manoeuvred through the crowd with a Dictaphone in hand, capturing people singing along to the 1991 bootleg. "Jay recorded the set on a Dictaphone like 34 years ago. So I'm like, well, what if I record 'Nirvana live at the Westward: Live at the Ship & Anchor' on a Dictaphone?" Mike Bell, author of the substack Sound Up YYC and former music reviewer for the Calgary Herald and Calgary Sun, was at the now-famed concert. Nirvana performed at the Beltline venue mere months before releasing one of the best-selling albums of all-time, Nevermind. Though the show has now reached legend-status for many in Calgary, Bell said he didn't actually remember it as "anything spectacular," adding "it was just another rock show." I went to hundreds of [shows] at that time, be it at the Westward Club, be it at the Republic, the Night Gallery, all of those. And, you never know, right? You never know what's going to be big," Bell said. But then you see Nirvana and you go, 'Wow, you know what? I was pretty lucky to see that.'" In keeping with the promise that Pay had made to Kurt Cobain to never sell the tape, Jenkins and the organizers kept the event free for all to enjoy. The event was also a fundraiser for the Distress Centre Calgary and BAM! Camp Calgary. Along with the folks who lived through Nirvana's prime, a younger generation of die-hard Nirvana fans also got to experience the show at Thursday's listening party. Ashton Terry wasn't even born yet when the Seattle band took the Westward Club stage, but he said he's been a fan since he was five, hearing Nirvana's songs through his father. He described the opportunity to hear the tape of them playing in Calgary as "just beautiful." "Of course, there's the rock aspect to it where you just want to, like, dance, you want to bob your head and all that," he said, after the party. "But if you think about it, like, you're seeing Kurt Cobain in his prime of passion, you know, before the fame got to him, before all the tours, all the money got to him. It was before he blew up. So you're seeing his true passion, the reason why he made the music he did." While Thursday's event was for folks over 21, the Ship & Anchor is hosting another listening party for the tape on Saturday, May 31, for all ages at 5:30 p.m.
