The city of Winnipeg wants young kids to join their S.W.A.T. team.

S.W.A.T. in this case, meaning Standing Water Action Team and was formed by the city last year as an effort to encourage people to get rid of standing water on their properties to ensure less mosquitoes have areas where they can breed.

Ken Nawolsky, the Superintendent of Insect Control for the city held an information session at Forest Park Elementary School today to teach the kids about insects and give them tips on how they can get rid of standing water at their homes.

 

 

The kids received a comic book that explains how they can help in the fight against mosquitoes.

“Children are the ones who are most willing to learn and if you can change their behaviour at a young age they are more likely to continue that behaviour into adulthood,” said Nawolsky. “By targeting this demographic we can get our message out in a fun way and maybe they can teach their parents how to get rid of standing water in their back yards as well.”

Standing water is the ideal environment for the development of mosquito larvae and fifty per cent of Winnipeg’s mosquitoes come from standing water on private property, the city says in a release.

In fact, a single bird bath with standing water can generate as many as 1,000 adult nuisance mosquitoes.

 

 

Adrianna Derendorf is a student at Forest Park Elementary School and says she wants to join the team.

“I really like how it (comic book) was telling you what to do if there are mosquitoes in your hard and I really like the book,” said Derendorf. “I didn’t even know mosquitoes lay their eggs in water.”

Nawolsky says the comic book can be downloaded on the city of Winnipeg Insect Control website.