Why Calgary's potentially 'normal' mosquito season might feel worse than it is

It's time to pull out the bug spray.

After a mild several years for mosquito activity in Calgary due to prolonged droughts, the periodic rain lately means the bloodsuckers are out in full swing.

Calgary entomologist John Swann said at best (or at worst, depending on how you see it), this is looking to be a "normal year" for mosquitoes.

But since we've had it easy in recent years, Calgarians might feel like they're swatting away mosquitoes more than they're used to. 

And he warns it could get worse in the coming weeks.

"I look at the next two weeks and yes, sure enough, we're getting periodic rain maybe every three days. And that's what you need for summer mosquitoes," said Swann, who works at ABI Environmental Services.

"Now is the time to start getting cautious."

The City of Calgary, which monitors mosquito numbers each year, said the rainfall throughout June and warmer temperatures recently has resulted in an increase in mosquitoes. They expect it to peak by mid-July, but say the trapping data shows a typical number of mosquitoes for this time of year.

But some Calgarians say it's been quiet on the mosquito front until what seems like a recent explosion over the last week or so.

Calgarian Alan Chu noticed the sudden surge of mosquitoes in the last several days — and so did his family visiting from Ontario.

"The first couple of nights they were like, 'I can't believe you guys can just leave the doors open.' We don't have any screens on our back patio doors," said Chu.

"Then in the last couple of days, they're like, 'Oh, no, not so incredible,' because we started to get mosquitoes inside the house."

"They're the young, spry ones. They're just all over."

His wife doesn't like the smell of the chemicals in traditional bug repellents, so in recent days she's stocked up on other solutions.