EDMONTON—If Edmonton’s long winter was good for one thing, it was keeping mosquitoes away. The main summer skeeters, Aedes vexans, are the stealthy ankle-biters that come out at dusk and dawn. West Nile virus is carried by Culex pipiens, which are not found in Edmonton, but a related species, Culex tarsalis, can be a carrier. “Its development is less dependent on precipitation and more on accumulated heat,” he said, adding a hot, dry summer would create ideal conditions for Culex tarsalis. The first year Culex tarsalis showed up in Edmonton was 2003, which heavily hit local bird populations.

Source: thestar May 05, 2018 16:01 UTC