Warmer weather in Winnipeg means mosquito season is coming
Posted May 22, 2026 2:55 pm.
Last Updated May 23, 2026 10:26 am.
The weather is starting to warm up here in Winnipeg, and with warmer conditions and sunshine comes an unwelcoming seasonal visitor — mosquitoes.
Entomologist Taz Stuart says factors like rainfall, standing water, and heat can all impact how severe the mosquito season becomes.
“Standing water in your backyard will produce 100’s of mosquitoes, even a small glass of water that’s standing around for seven to 10 days can produce hundreds of mosquitoes, and they’re gonna be in your backyard, your gutters. So, dump it, meaning, dump anything that’s holding standing water. Drain it, make sure there is no standing water around. Treat it with bti, which you can buy at the stores. And of course, call in a professional, and they can spray a barrier to help reduce any mosquito issues,” said Stuart.
As temperatures continue to rise, mosquito control companies are also prepping for one of their busiest time of the year.
“Usually, business starts to pick up for us around early May. This year, because the spring has been a little later, it’s been a little slower, but that’s given us a good opportunity to really get a good base going for the customers we already have and getting those first few sprays down to really help protect our customers throughout the season,” said Ben Stephenson, the service manager of Mosquito Buzz Manitoba.
Crews use specialized backpack blowers and spray a barrier around yards, trees, long grass, and wherever mosquitoes will spend their time.
“Generally, the first thing we’re going to do is go look for any spots in the property that have potentially water. So, tires, low spots that are like swampy could be a problem, or breeding ground problem, and often underneath decks and stuff, to something we’ll go ahead and take a look under the deck, see if there’s any water sitting under there. A lot of mosquitoes sit under the deck during the day cause it’s shady, and they come out during the night, so we could try and treat on the deck for them anyway we will,” said Aidan England, the branch manager of Mosquito Buzz Manitoba.
According to the City of Winnipeg, current mosquito levels are low, and in order for residential fogging to begin, levels need to be considered “high”. But for some Winnipeggers, no matter the mosquito count, it won’t stop them from taking advantage of being outside after a long winter.
“It’s a regular thing. Am I prepared? No, am I excited? No. And now I have him to worry about, so I need to get some mosquito patches or something,” said Pam Colpitts, a Winnipegger.
Stuart adds, “It’s important to wear repellent even though there’s not a whole bunch of mosquitoes out right now. But give it two weeks, we’ll see, because it’s getting warm!”
