The City of Winnipeg is hoping for a united front asking the province for more mosquito money. 

The Manitoba government has changed its West Nile Virus larviciding funding model, and the city is anticipating a $620,000 shortfall for the Capital Region's larviciding program.

The city's Superintendent of Insect Control, Ken Nawolsky says that means there could be less larviciding in areas just outside city limits. 
 
"We may have to contemplate changing our larviciding from 10 kilometres to eight kilometres," Nawolsky said. "Generally mosquitoes will stay within about five kilometres from where they emerge as an adult. However, if you get very strong winds or if it's near a corridor of water they tend to migrate and could come into the city." 
 
"That's why there could be the potential for a small increase in mosquitoes in those areas adjacent to city limits." 
 
Nawolsky says assuming council and committees agree, the city's CAO has been given the green light to negotiate with both the province and municipalities within the capital region. 
 
He doesn't expect a quick resolution but is hoping for one before Apr. 1, 2018, which is the deadline before decisions have to be made. 
 
A provincial spokesperson says Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living has revised eligibility and funding levels for its annual West Nile virus larviciding program, and under the new funding model only communities situated within a high or moderate risk zone with a sufficiently large treatment area will be eligible to receive funding.
 
That means some Manitoba communities will receive more funding compared to previous years.
 
Nawolsky says he's unsure if the funding shortfall is going to make 2018 a worse year for mosquitoes in Winnipeg. 
 
"It's really hard to predict, we're really dependent on the weather," Nawolsky said. "We're fortunate we had a dry fall and very minimal snowfall so far, so spring is looking much better but really it's dependent on the rains we recieve." 
 
"Last July and August Mother Nature cooperated with us and we had lower than normal precipitation which allowed us to get to sites in a timely matter and that led to a lower mosquito population." 
 
Nawolsky says larviciding is important and is different than fogging. Larviciding targets the mosquitoes when they are still in their larval phase, which Nawolsky says is the most effective way to control them.