Saskatchewan is fighting one of the worst mosquito seasons in years and residents are itching for relief in the form of bug spray. Mosquito repellent is flying off store shelves across Saskatoon. Zak’s Home Hardware has been sold out of bug spray for the last four days. Jonah Berg, the floor team lead at the store, hopes to receive a new shipment this week. “I do not expect it to last long,” Berg told CTV News. Their last shipment of bug spray sold out in 72 hours. “Demand is insane,” he said. “I am happy to sell it, but I do not think we have had this high of sales in bug spray for a long time.” Last week, mosquito numbers in Saskatoon were more than triple the 10-year average and 14 times higher than the same time last year. This summer’s increased rainfall and hot temperatures created the perfect environment for mosquitoes to breed. Berg’s store placed a limit on mosquito products last week to prevent stockpiling. Households can only purchase four mosquito-related products at one time. “For the most part, customers are understanding because that is what they are experiencing everywhere else across the city,” Berg said. The Medicine Shoppe in Saskatoon’s Evergreen neighbourhood has not sold out of bug spray yet, according to owner and pharmacist Courtney Junop. However, Junop has been hearing from customers that mosquito repellent is hard to come by, which is why she is bulking up on her supply to meet the citywide demand. “There are a lot of back orders with suppliers,” Junop told CTV News. “Luckily, when we have placed orders, we have gotten the product and managed to keep some supply on the shelves.” Mosquito repellent is usually the best preventative for mosquito bites, according to Junop. She says repellents that contain deet are “the most effective.” If people do get bit, a topical corticosteroid or an oral antihistamine can help with the itch, she added. “There is definitely an increase in demand for both repellents and treatment of insect bites and mosquito bites this year,” Junop said. Season may be decade’s worst: Expert “This season is more severe than anything we have seen in probably a decade,” said Sean Prager, an associate professor of plant sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. Prager recommends eliminating standing water to cut down on breeding environments for mosquitoes. He also suggests wearing long, loose fitting clothing that makes it harder for mosquitoes to bite through. If possible, he recommends people limit their outdoor activities in the morning and evening when mosquitoes tend to be more active. “(Being outside) more into the afternoon is actually often better,” he said. Although the number of bug bites might increase this summer, Prager said the odds of getting a mosquito-transmitted disease are not increasing. “They are annoying and they are unpleasant,” he said. “But the probability that you are going to be bit by something that is going to make you sick is not substantially higher than normal.”
