Here's why there have been so many mosquitoes in southern Quebec this summer

While the communities in the north are dry and burning, those in southern Quebec have been hit with wet and warm weather all summer, providing ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

"It's been a great summer for many insects that need water to reproduce or that are just adapted to live in wet environments," said Andre-Philippe Drapeau Picard, entomological information officer at the Montreal Insectarium.

Mosquitos lay their eggs in the water and their larva are aquatic, meaning in many regions, including Montreal, the buzzing bugs were abundant.

Typically, the early summer is the best time for mosquitos to breed because the melting snow provides ample breeding habitats. Females can produce over 100 eggs in a single laying. 

This year, heavy rain meant more breeding opportunities. In the month of July, Montreal received 211 millimeters of rain when the region, on average, gets just uner 90 millimeters.

"Their life cycle is not that long, so it depends on the weather that we get," said Drapeau Picard. "We can expect mosquitos next week."

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The Quebec Ministry of Health and Social Services said reducing mosquito populations protects against mosquito bites that can cause infections such as the West Nile virus (WNV), California serogroup viruses (CSV) and Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus (EEE).

The ministry recommends wearing long-sleeved, light-coloured clothing, using mosquito repellent (on clothing rather than skin), installing mosquito nets on doors and windows, and covering strollers and playpens.

To eliminate standing water, residents should:

• Remove water or empty waste from buckets, barrels, plates under flowerpots, vases, old tires or all other outdoor objects that may contain water;
• Remove water that accumulates on pool covers; and
• Clean the gutters of your house.

Drapeau Picard said that installing a fan outdoors is also effective as mosquitos are not the strongest flyers. One thing to avoid, he said, is using pesticides.

Climate change, habitat loss, and pesticide use remain the big three reasons for insect decline across the globe, and Drapeau Picard was quick to remind us that, though they may be annoying, mosquitos and other insects are vital.

"The big picture for insects is many groups of families seem to be declining in many regions of the world," he said. "This is, in the end, not good for us humans because we rely on insects for so many ecological services they provide to us."

Mosquitos are a valuable food source for birds, animals, and other insects, and other insects pollinate and compost dead trees.

Concordia University biology professor Jean-Philippe Lessard said Quebec's climate is unique, and the creatures and plants that live here are used to variations in climate.

"Our fauna here and our flora are adapted to a fluctuating environment," he said. "Anything that lives here has to deal with the warm month of the summer of July, and they also have to deal with the super cold months of January and February, so they're already adapted to quite a lot of variation."

This is very different from parts of the world where the weather is consistently hot or cold year-round.

"In a way, our boreal and temperate species are pre-adapted to some degree of this, but there's a limit," he said. "The question is: when do we cross that limit for certain organisms."

In general, Lessard said, that insect seasons will last longer, with summers starting earlier and ending later.

"We're seeing a lot of species that were once never seen in Canada but found in the US, who are now migrating north because of warmer temperatures, because of longer seasons," said Lessard. 

Drapeau Picard said that it is too soon to say whether the mosquito abundance will continue in future years.

"In the context of climate change, we are expecting years with periods of drought and periods of heavy precipitation, so in the long run, it might not be good for our insects because they're not adapted to that climate variability," he said. "This year was good, but in the long run, we'll see."