Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Bite me

I was speaking to family members living in BC this morning - ahh the lovely Okanagan - God's country where there are no mosquitoes or bugs. They had been planning a visit to Saskatoon but had heard the rumours of our mosquito population and wanted to know if the rumours were true.

I told him he should make Mr. DEET his best friend, bring a shotgun and take out a hunting license. He suggested that we make Mr. Mosquito our provincial bird. The sunshine out his way must have fried his brain if he didn't remember our little friends were insects.

Which brought us around to what the city does for mosquito control. It would seem not much.

It got me lamenting the good old days when the city fogged for mosquitoes. I know, I know about the health concerns. But as a kid I ran in and out of that fog, and as has been alleged in previous blogs I am an old girl, and still kicking even after that fog folly. I worry more now about West Nile virus.

I'm waiting now for some entrepreneur to come up with dragon flies strung to wrist bands for protection against our hunger insect friends.

But the sun is shinning and life is good.

2 comments:

  1. Better mosquitoes then hail. Sure hope your place is fine Mistress. On the bite front they don't hurt as much as wasps which I can contest are nasty. Ouch, Ouch, Ouch and again OUCH!

    Winnipeg still fogs the difference is the stuff they use is now a safe product. But the city continually tells use that hitting them before they hatch is the best way. Oh but we are in a once in a life time wet period and they couldn't do it as well this year. Funny I don't pay taxes to have them used correctly only on the easy days. I need the service when I am in need. Has there ever been an evaluation of the mosiquto control dept. I doubt it. Fogging may not be necessary every year but when we have a year like this it is a necessity. But hell we'll just blame the Provincial Government for cutting the program money. OOPs isn't that why they gave cities the 1% PST? That way the cities get to choose what to spend their money on and ours chose lights on a bridge that is condemned, a new art gallery, lost tax revenue from prime real estate, sound walls (which aren't used in the summer cause you can't sit outside anyways) and on and on. This council's priorities are screwed up and it will show in the next election.

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  2. What is really sad is when I hear someone (friend, neighbour etc) complain that "the city doesn't do enough" to control mosquitos, I ask them to explain what the city does and how much it costs. They don't know.

    They complain about something they have no knowledge of.

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