Prof. Christopher Buddle: Mosquitos thriving in Quebec thanks to summer rainfall

Professor Christopher Buddle, an entomologist in McGill’s Department of Natural Resource Sciences whose research focuses on the biodiversity of insects and spiders, told the Montreal Gazette that the rain this summer has been particularly “good” for mosquitos.

Mosquito larvae are aquatic, relying on standing water to thrive.

“Every year in late summer there are certain species of mosquitos that tend to increase later in the season and it’s also the time when the nests of social wasps, things like yellow jackets etc., are getting larger so there are more of them around too,” he said. “There do seem to be a lot of mosquitos around in late summer and I would say there are more than average and it’s largely because we’ve had a fairly warm and certainly a very wet summer.”

Buddle said it is quite difficult to determine whether there are more mosquitos one year over another. 

“But certainly anecdotally, what most people agree on is that this is a bad mosquito year. … And until we get a hard frost and killer days, they are going to be around.”

Homeowners are advised to empty any standing water on their property, such as in old tires or flowerpots. To be less attractive to mosquitos, experts advise using insect spray, wearing pale clothing and taking a shower before heading outside.