By Katie Strachan
The Oshawa Express

The region is taking a new approach to fight the bite and it involves two-wheels. Starting this week the Durham Region Health Department will be working with GDG Environment Ltd., a licensed larvicide contractor, to administer catch basin larviciding treatments using specially equipped bicycles made for applying the solution.“Residents can be assured that while using
bicycles to apply larvicide is different this year, the larviciding program is the same that
has occurred in previous years,” says Laura Freeland, the manager of environmental health
with the Durham Region Health Department. As a part of its ongoing West Nile virus surveillance activities, the health department has been and will continue to monitor both regional and municipally owned catch basins across the region for the presence of mosquito larvae. Basins that have been found to have moderate numbers of mosquitoes will be sprayed
with the first stage of solution, which is a granular form of Methoprene this week.
This solution has a residual effect of 21 days so two additional sprayings are needed
throughout the summer months to keep mosquito numbers down.

The second rounds are sprayed in mid-July and again in mid-August. The region has been conducting these sprays since 2003, states a recent health committee report.“We will be using the same larvicide, applying the same amount as we’ve done in the past. Using bicycles just represents a different approach in ensuring ongoing monitoring and surveillance activities to help control the mosquito population,” explains Freeland, adding the Ontario Ministry of Environment approves the larvicide.

“Residents can be assured that while using bicycles to apply larvicide is different this year, the larviciding program is the same that has occurred in previous years.”

-Laura Freeland

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