Winnipeg, MB – Today the City of Winnipeg's Insect Control Branch attended Lavallee Elementary School to deliver an educational presentation about insects and to invite students and their parents to join the fight against mosquitoes this season as honorary Agents of S.W.A.T. (Standing Water Action Team). Students were presented with Winnipeg’s second edition of an action oriented educational comic book that examines the mosquito’s life cycle, and explains what action is required if you want to become an agent of S.W.A.T. and reduce mosquitoes in your neighborhood.
“Building on the success of last year’s comic book, we want to educate and recruit more kids to join the Agents of S.W.A.T. so they learn at an early age that by draining, dumping or covering standing water in their yards, they can significantly reduce mosquitoes”, said Ken Nawolsky, superintendent of insect control, “Once someone gets in the habit of eliminating standing water, that behavior is more likely to continue throughout their life. Kids can also share the information with their parents.”
Standing water is the ideal environment for the development of Winnipeg’s mosquito larvae and fifty per cent of Winnipeg’s mosquitos come from standing water on private property. A single container filled with standing water can generate as many as 1,000 adult nuisance mosquitoes which can lead to localized higher populations of adult mosquitoes.
In 2016, the City launched its educational campaign called Join the Agents of S.W.A.T. (Standing Water Action Team) as a call to action for all Winnipeggers to actively drain, dump or cover water-filled containers such as buckets, rain barrels, birdbaths and eavestroughs in the springtime, and after a rainfall to reduce mosquito populations.
“As an agent of S.W.A.T., your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to fight mosquitoes before they hatch”, said Nawolsky, “If all Winnipeggers do their part in eliminating standing water, all of Winnipeg will benefit by having fewer mosquitoes.”
For more information and to download a copy of the comic book, please visit winnipeg.ca/agentsofswat