‘It’s gotten worse’: Saskatoon’s mosquito count spikes

WATCH: If you feel like you're suddenly swatting at mosquitoes more often, It’s not your imagination. Saskatoon’s mosquito count is seeing a significant spike.

Saskatoon’s summer started with fewer mosquitoes than usual, but the city’s latest mosquito count shows the average is now five times higher than at this time last year.

The sharp increase hasn’t gone unnoticed.

“Just this week, they all of a sudden came out. I thought we were free this summer from mosquitoes, and then bam,” Chelsie Fruson said.

“As the season progressed into July and August, it’s gotten worse,” Larry Wiebe said.

Georgiana Antochi-Crihan, an entomologist with the City of Saskatoon, says mosquito traps are set and checked four nights a week.

The most recent mosquito count shows each trap is averaging about 25 mosquitoes per night, which is five times the average from this time in 2024. It is also up by 10 from the 10-year average.

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Rain earlier this month and recent warm weather are behind the increase, Antochi-Crihan said.

“The two things that matter the most for mosquito activity are precipitation and temperature. Precipitation creates more mosquito habitat. Temperature speeds up mosquito development,” she said.

Antochi-Crihan offers some tips to help keep the bugs away.

“Make sure you’re cleaning those eavestroughs. Mosquitoes really like having a little bit of grass or organic matter, so the eavestroughs with leaves tend to be really good mosquito habitats,” she said.

She also recommends wearing light colours and using bug spray.

Asked if mosquito numbers will continue to rise, Antochi-Crihan says it depends on upcoming weather.

“If we continue to see a lot of rainfall and warm temperatures, it’s not unreasonable to expect elevated mosquito activity,” she said.