Bonus Feature -- by Mark Sproxton

Calgary's mosquito lady walks a fine line in the theatre of public opinion. Some welcome the work she does monitoring summer's insatiable flying vampires, while others believe her work is never enough.

A near-empty jar in fall hardly resembles the overflowing containers of summer.

But no matter what people think, Tara Mercier, an entomology technician with Calgary's Parks and Recreation Department, loves the job and its natural benefits. Despite spending most of the summer counting dead mosquitos, mosquito larva, or dealing with those who believe the City should do more to control Mother Nature at every turn, energy for the work abounds.

"It's a good mix of lab and field skills, and people skills," she said, seated comfortably behind the wheel of her red and white City truck, used to transport her to monitoring stations throughout and surrounding Calgary. "I'm really getting to know the city and some of the beautiful landscapes. And the opportunities to meet members of the public, that's a nice thing."

Tara Mercier checks a water sample for mosquito larva.

A seasonal job, from early spring to late fall, Mercier spends most of her time dealing with mosquitos. A day or two every week is spent checking New Jersey Light Traps, then taking the collecting jars filled with dead mosquitos back to the office and counting the number of dead mossies. Of particular interest is the number of females, as they are the only ones that bite. Using tweezers and a lighted magnifying glass, Mercier carefully separates the mosquitos from the moths and spiders to determine if the flying vampires have increased their numbers in the area of the trap from the week before.

Another couple of days is spent on checking specific standing water pools for temperature, water level, and mosquito larva content. Determining which stage of larval development helps determine if any type of control is required in that area.

Mercier has to do these checks regardless of the weather. From this monitoring, information is compiled to determine where, when and what kind, if any, of action needs to be taken. Two common types of control are Dursban, a long-lasting (up to three weeks) chemical sprayed to kill mosquito larva, and Bti (Bucillus thuringiensis israelensis) which is a bacteria applied to cobs of corn that are thrown into standing water also used to kill mosquito larva.

"We're not going and spraying chemicals for the heck of it," Mercier explained. "You only do control when it's necessary."

Mercier counts the dead mosquitos back at her office.

Another important part of her week is informing people when and where spraying programs will take place, and dealing with complaints or concerns from the public. At the end of the season, Mercier will be called upon to help with the Gypsy Moth monitoring program, and possibly other colleagues who are working on combating Dutch Elm Disease.

After graduating from NAIT with a diploma in biological sciences, Mercier enjoys the work that keeps her outdoors, and on the move, despite what some people think of the mosquito control program. "I really like birds, and get to see a lot out here. I've also seen a few fox, coyotes, and mule deer which is kind of a side benefit."