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Q. What is the pest management industry
contributing to mosquito control?
A. Member companies manufacture some of the products available for
protection against mosquitoes, including insect control products
and repellents. They are working with concerned municipalities to
create effective control programs, involving strategies targeted
to both mosquito larvae and adult mosquitoes. The industry advocates
an integrated approach to control that includes personal repellents,
proper clothing, avoidance and mosquito control. The industry is
also offering a comprehensive collection of WNV information at www.croplife.ca/WNV,
to help the public better understand the efforts being made to control
the insects that spread WNV.
Q. Is there some level of government overseeing
mosquito control and repellent products?
A. Yes. All products designed to manage, destroy, attract or repel
pests that are used, sold or imported into Canada are regulated
by Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). The
federal legislative authority for the regulation of pesticides in
Canada is the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). The use of pesticides
is also subject to regulation under provincial/territorial legislation.
You can review the act at the PMRA's web site at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pmra-arla/english/legis/pcpa-e.html.
Q. What products are available to control
mosquitoes?
A. There are two types of mosquito control products.
Larvicides are used to control mosquito larva, an immature stage
of the insect. Larviciding involves placing pellets or granules
containing anti-larvae pest control products in mosquito breeding
sites, such as storm-sewer catch basins, ponds and other water containing
areas.
Adulticides are products that control mosquitoes at their adult stage. Adulticides are applied as a spray or fog in areas where adult mosquitoes are present. Both types of control options must be used in conjunction with repellents and other control practices in an integrated pest management program.
Q. Why are mosquito larvae being targeted?
A. Mosquitoes at the larval stage are far easier to target and control
because the larvae are largely immobile, compared to the flying
adult stage. As well, this approach stops the larvae developing
into adult mosquitoes that may transmit WNV. To learn more about
mosquito physiology, visit Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory
Agency website, at
www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pmra-arla/english/consum/pnotes-e.html.
For more information, refer to Health Canada's website, "Effective
Control of Mosquitoes Around Your Home,"
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/pmra-arla/english/pdf/pnotes/mosquitos-may-e.pdf
Q. What mosquito species carry WNV?
A. The northern house mosquito*, Culex pipiens is the most common mosquito in urban and suburban areas of eastern Canada and British Columbia. The mosquito larvae can be found in artificial containers and ditches, and also in natural rain puddles and ponds. They thrive in water polluted with organic wastes. The females feed mainly at night and mostly on birds, but they will also bite people both outdoors and indoors. Health Canada says the tendency of these females to feed on people or birds, the wild hosts of West Nile virus, makes C. pipiens the most likely vector of West Nile virus in North America, both from birds to birds and from birds to people. A closely related species, C. restuans, is found in eastern Canada and the prairie provinces. The mosquito larvae are found in similar sites, but the females less commonly bite people.
Q. What products are being used by governments,
municipalities and other pest control officials to control mosquitoes?
A. Local governments decide on whether to institute mosquito-abatement programs. Contact your municipality to determine if a program is planned for your area.
Some examples of products used are mosquito larvicides such as a methoprene (an insect growth regulator) and Bacillus thurengeinsis israelensiss (Bti), a bacterial-based toxin. Be sure municipal bylaws and legislation permit the public application of mosquito control products. If you are confused about which products you can use in your municipality, contact your municipal Council.
Q. Are insecticides and repellents safe
to use?
A. Insecticides and repellents registered to control both mosquito larval stages (larvicides) and in the biting, adult stage (adulticides) have been extensively researched and thoroughly reviewed by Health Canada, and are effective and pose very little risk if used as directed. Like all pest control products registered for use in Canada, they have been subjected to thorough toxicity testing and exposure/risk assessments. These products may provide a significant health benefit when used against mosquitoes that transmit WNV.
Q. Are pesticides re-evaluated regularly?
A. Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) systematically
re-evaluates pesticides to ensure that they meet current-day standards. Health
and environment studies are repeated as new scientific techniques are developed.
Regulatory action is taken on any product that is found to result in an unacceptable
risk of harm. In addition, whenever scientific approaches emerge that can enhance
the PMRA's evaluation process, the Agency integrates this new knowledge into
pesticide risk assessments.
Q. Is industry working on any new mosquito
control and repellent products?
A. The pest management industry is research intensive. For years, the industry has been researching and developing mosquito control products to protect against insects that may carry disease. Disease control is the domain of the medical profession. The pest management industry is interested in controlling the insect that carries the disease - the mosquito, in the case of WNV.
Q. Will mosquitoes be eradicated through
prevention and control measures?
A. No. However, it's important to protect yourself against disease-carrying insects such as mosquitoes.
Q. Can the public apply some mosquito control
products themselves?
A. Mosquito larvicides, repellents and adult-stage mosquito products are all available to the public. Always look for the PCP registration number on products - without a PCP number, the product has not undergone Health Canada's extensive registration and risk assessment process and any unapproved product is illegal in Canada.
Canadians have always taken pride in having a choice - to either do it themselves, or have a contactor do it for them. Like painting a house, or changing the oil in a car, neither method is inherently better or more careful…but a simple matter of choosing what works best for each person. Both the homeowner and the professional applicator have access to products designed to be safely used to control the pest. But homeowners use products that are designed, formulated and specifically packaged for them. Those products are classified as "domestic" under the Pest Control Products Act (PCPA). The products that professional applicators use are designed, formulated and packaged for them, and classified as "commercial" under PCPA regulations. There is a difference.
Q. Can the public help significantly reduce
the WNV threat by making sure they take mosquito control measures
around their own properties?
A. Yes. A multi-faceted approach, called integrated pest management,
is needed. These measures, in combination with federally registered
mosquito control products, include:
- Remove all sources of standing water where mosquitoes breed.
- Use screens on doors and windows.
- Avoid exposure when mosquitoes are most active, at dawn and dusk.
- Wear light-coloured clothing, which attracts mosquitoes less than dark-coloured clothing.
Q. Where can the public get more information about WNV?
A. There are many WNV information sources. To assist you, our Links
section includes some sources designed to help keep you safe
from WNV.
Q. Are there environmental impacts of insecticide
use for mosquito control?
A. When used as directed, there is no unacceptable environmental impact for any mosquito insecticide registered in Canada (see specific products for details). Federal regulatory authorities perform a thorough, conservative risk assessment before registering mosquito insecticides.
Q. Where can I go if I have more questions?
A. Click here for more information.
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