Citizen scientists sought to catch mosquitoes, help monitor disease-carrying species

As mosquito season ramps up, the University of Calgary and the city are calling on citizen scientists to help them study the potential health impacts of the invasive northern house mosquito — an insect capable of transmitting diseases from birds to humans.

Calgarians can take part in the research by picking up a mosquito trapping kit at Ralph Klein Park or the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary. Each kit contains a tube to catch a mosquito in and a tracking paper to detail the time and place it was caught.

"This will help us know what species are attracted to people in our area, what's happening in our parks and what mosquitos we might want to take a look at closer in the future," said John Soghigian, an assistant professor in the faculty of veterinary medicine at the University of Calgary.

After catching the mosquitoes (dead or alive), participants can drop off their kits in boxes located within the parks.

Culex pipiens, most commonly known as the northern house mosquito, is of particular concern in Calgary, according to Soghigian. That's because while it mostly feeds on birds, it can also bite humans, making it a potential transmitter of the West Nile virus, among other diseases.

Alex Coker, the city's integrated pest management technician, said mosquitos numbers are starting to increase around the city as temperatures climb, but that's typical for this time of year.

According to Coker, Calgary has about 35 to 40 mosquito species. The city spreads out mosquito traps in areas like parks to monitor and research the insects. While Coker said they haven't caught many yet this year, mosquito numbers usually peak by mid-July.

"I would say right now it's probably like under 100, although we have had some times where we've gotten more than that this time of year," she said. "We might get maybe 1,000 or a few thousand in a trap in a night."

To help manage mosquito populations, Coker said Calgarians should dump any standing water in their backyard regularly, like bird baths or rain barrels.

Citizen science 

Soghigian's lab studies mosquitos caught in traps across the city, tracking invasive species and conducting other research projects about mosquito diversity in the region and the risks those insects pose.

The idea to involve citizen scientists came from a project in Newfoundland, where scientists used it as a way to augment their own surveillance of mosquitos. 

Through community engagement, those researchers found some species of mosquitoes that they couldn't find with their normal traps, Soghigian explained.

"Sometimes it's hard to get at mosquitoes when they're actually actively seeking the hosts. So this helps us do that," he said.

Last year, about 30 people participated in the program from Calgary, alongside some participants from Lethbridge and Edmonton, but Soghigian said he hopes to get more people involved this time around.

The northern house mosquito

The northern house mosquito was first found in Alberta by pest management technicians in Edmonton in 2018. The insect is believed to be native to Europe and North Africa.

"One of the things that surprised me most about Alberta is the speed at which an invasive mosquito has moved across the province," said Soghigian.

"That's a big focus of research in my lab is figuring out how this mosquito got to Alberta and why it's so successful here."

The Culex pipiens is also to blame for starting the spread of West Nile virus in North America, according to Soghigian, though he noted that native species can also spread the disease.

While mosquitos native to Alberta usually thrive near larger bodies of waters, the northern mosquito thrives in both wet and dry conditions.

"It's pretty different from our other native mosquitoes because it's really good at living alongside us," Soghigian said.