Mosquitoes down in Calgary thanks to lack of rain

Calgary is having a mosquito-free summer and an expert says he is even seeing fewer of the pesky bugs in Kananaskis Country too. 

John Swann, manager of the insect collection at the University of Calgary, says Calgary is seeing fewer mosquitoes this year.

"I've been looking at the precipitation maps…and we are way below seasonal precipitation and that's the key for mosquito populations," he said.

One of Swann's Kananaskis Valley traps placed in prime mosquito breeding territory only had 16 mosquitoes this summer, when he usually catches 100.

Anecdotally people are reporting more mosquitoes than usual outside the city in the backcountry. Swann said localized thunderstorms might be to blame.

"If you get literally enough precipitation that it floods where they laid their eggs around the mud, those insects can hatch and develop in 142 hours to be biting you."

More grasshoppers in the prairies

The dry weather is proving difficult for farmers, who are not only dealing with a lack of rain, but are experiencing more grasshopper breeding.

"The farmers are kind of getting really screwed because their crops aren't doing well and they are getting more grasshoppers eating those crops," said Swann. "These things can eat a heck of a lot of vegetation."

Alberta has 42 species of mosquitoes, of which about half exist in the city.