About the Joint Mosquito Abatement Program
The CRD, the District of Central Saanich, SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout) First Nation and a number of private consultants work together on a Joint Mosquito Abatement Program for sites in Central Saanich, including Island View Beach Regional Park. This program, which has been running for over 30 years, is delivered annually under a provincially-approved Integrated Pest Management Plan.
The purpose of the Joint Mosquito Abatement Program is to provide residents, workers, and visitors to the area with relief from extreme adult mosquito annoyance. This is achieved through proactive larval mosquito surveillance and control. The program is not intended to, nor is it possible to, eradicate local mosquito populations.
August 2023 Program Update
In August 2023, the CRD, the District of Central Saanich and Tsawout First Nation received reports of increased mosquito presence throughout Central Saanich.
In response to these reports, staff from CRD, Central Saanich and Tsawout First Nation have met in the field with the contractor to explore short term solutions to supplement the ongoing abatement work.
The contractor advised the current hatch of mosquitoes is likely from recent high tides and excess accumulation of salt water. It is likely that as crops in the region are harvested, these mosquitoes are also dispersing to new areas causing an increased presence.
The contractor is continuing to apply VectoBac in the treatment areas as required. Currently, within Island View Beach Regional Park, the consultant has confirmed through larval sampling that mosquito populations are low and treatment has not been required since early July. Other sites within the larger area of the program continue to receive treatment.
Program FAQs
When does the program start?
The program starts in February each year with consultants doing mosquito larval surveys at Island View Beach Regional Park and on Central Saanich and Tsawout Nation managed lands. Based on the findings of the surveys, the contractor identifies larval hotspots and determines the appropriate amounts of larvicide to apply and when to apply it. This application program continues through to late fall.
The pest management contractor continues to monitor and sample sites and fresh water habitats throughout Central Saanich on a weekly basis, monitoring for adult and larval mosquito presence and taking prescriptive actions aimed at reduction.
Maintenance and Drainage
The Island View area contains a series of ditches and one-way flapper gates that help control the inflow and infiltration of seawater in the ditch system. Qualified professionals undertake regular monitoring, ditch surveys, and if required, prescriptions for ditch maintenance.
The CRD, Central Saanich and the Tsawout Nation undertake maintenance to areas under their respective management. Based on annual observations made by qualified professionals around the conditions of the drainage system, recommendations are made for improving water flow while not increasing mosquito habitat.
Maintenance activities include brushing specific target areas, manually removing small blockages, or using heavy equipment to redefine ditches. This work is typically undertaken once the drainage areas are dry enough for machinery to access and outside of the time when nesting birds could be disturbed.