[All] Insight on Mosquito issue from folks who know by experience.

[Louisette Lanteigne]

Hi everyone
 
Regarding Mosquitos, Les Kadar and Jan have been in the pond business for 22 years. Their unique insight into the mosquito issue makes for very good reading based on solid experience.  Here is their feedback to Cambridge Council members in response to the Mosquito Study.  The information is valuable for both city and regional EEACs.
 
Lulu 
 
 
From: Garden Gate [mailto:gardengate at sentex.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, February 03, 2010 12:07 PM
To: Ben Tucci; Pam Wolf; Pam Wolf; Ben Tucci
Cc: Swayze, Kevin
Subject: mosquito article/study



Good morning folks.
First, councillors, sorry for sending two emails out.  I have two email addresses for you but are not sure which one is now valid.  The one that gets returned I will delete.
 
 
I am responding to the article in the Record on the mosquito study.
 
As you may recall, we have been in the pond industry now for over 22 years and would like to think that we learned a thing or two.
 
We grew, sold and researched pond plants, ponds ( bodies of water not necessarily smaller than a SWIM at issue here) as well as all the equipment that goes with it.
 
The study speaks to questionable solutions and is incorrect in some facets as well.
 
While the mosquitos may be propogating as a result of the cattails (marginal plants),  these plants as well as a number of other varieties are carrying out a vital function to keep the water balanced and free of contaminants. As the SWIM is responsible for collection of storm water, it is also responsible for collection of pollution such as oil, gas, fertilizer, silt, salt and whatever else is washed down from backyards, sidewalks and roadways all year.
The SWIM is a still body of water with no outlet, feed water or means of easily cleaning itself as normal bodies of wate may have.
 
Compounding that technical fact, and while it should not be allowed, the public is dumping their yard waste and everything else they can't put out in the garbage, into these bodies of still, captive water. This action prevents the pond water from being able to heal itself fast enough and thus turns green, soupy and becomes a swamp which breeds mosquitos like mad. A cycle has now started that is difficult if even possible to stop without major efforts to curb bad habits of residents as a starting point.
As in the Moffat Creek area, the SWIM is being loaded up on a daily basis with silt runoff, diesel fuel, oil and anything else that such construction has to offer. This should not be allowed ( there are rules that are never enforced) but is.
 
 
You cannot eliminate cattails. You can dig them out this year, and they will be back in another 2 or 3 like before.
Their roots are survivors.
Further, when you take out cattails, what other vital plant life goes with it ??? A bulldozer is not a very discriminating piece of equipment. People with shovels will be there for ever and still won't get the job done either. Trust me, Jan and I have attempted to cull pond plants for years.
 How much is the city prepared to spend to dig out plants today only to have to replenish them tomorrow with the ones that are required to keep the pond healthy?
It's a bad proposal and should be avoided.
We have over the years sold many thousands of dollars worth of " marginal " plants expressly for that puropose.
 
A pond, which is a living thing, has now been created and called a storm water management pond.  We now have to deal with it as a pond not just a body of water that collects pollutants from storm water run off.
 
To eliminate the marsh plants is a huge mistake.
A U of G study researched the function of specific pond plants that actually remove contaminants from the pond, and it would be  wise to have the consultant ( who should have already known about it ) research and present it.
 
Government has created this mess with the introduction of the SWIM requirements but it has failed to continue the study to find out the repricussions of installing them before issuing the order.
Typical.
 
Please be careful here as the consultant is floundering a bit in an effort to make a good living off of their recommendations without fully having proved their case to do so.  Pam is right.  When you disturb one thing many others down the line are affected as well.
We are dealing with nature here. 
Bottm line is this in my view.
You moved beside the SWIM and it aint' movin.
You moved beside the airport and we are not closing it down.
Stop dumping shit into the water period or we will fine you to death.
Outside of that, enjoy nature at it's almost finest.
The frogs, birds and everything else that comes to this pond is worth the investigation to learn more about our world.
 
 
rgds  les.
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