Rethinking Mosquito Control: Protecting Health Without Harming Nature

Muskoka's forests, rivers and lakes are as much an attractant 
to mosquitoes and blackflies as they are to the rest of us đŸ¤ˇđŸťâ€â™€ď¸

Have you ever noticed that public health advice about mosquito-borne illnesses rarely recommends spraying your yard? That’s because widespread pesticide use can create more problems than it solves - for both ecosystems and long-term environmental health. In fact, concerns about pesticides are growing. In December 2023, the Government of Canada reclassified the monarch butterfly as endangered under the 
Species at Risk Act, citing habitat loss, climate change, and pesticide use as major factors. Even small amounts of pesticides can disrupt the life cycles of butterflies and other pollinators, affecting their ability to reproduce, migrate, and survive.

Why Spraying Isn’t the Solution
Mosquito and black fly sprays, especially those containing pyrethroids, are broad-spectrum insecticides. This means they don’t just kill mosquitoes; they also kill beneficial species.

Key environmental impacts include:
  • Non-target insect loss: Bees, butterflies, ladybugs, and other helpful insects are killed on contact, reducing biodiversity.
  • Aquatic toxicity: Spray drift and runoff can poison fish, tadpoles, and other aquatic life, with chemicals often accumulating in sediments.
  • Pollination disruption: Fewer pollinators means weaker plant reproduction and less resilient ecosystems.
  • Food web imbalance: Mosquitoes are an important food source for birds, bats, fish, frogs, dragonflies, and damselflies. Removing them affects entire food chains.
  • Environmental buildup: Repeated spraying can lead to lingering contamination in soil and water.
What You Need to Know Before Spraying for Mosquitoes
As highlighted by the National Wildlife Federation, these ecological effects are significant, and often overlooked when quick fixes are promoted.

A Better Approach: Targeted, Safer Solutions
Rather than relying on chemical sprays, experts recommend reducing mosquito populations at the source and using low-impact alternatives:

  • Eliminate standing water where mosquitoes breed (e.g., buckets, gutters, birdbaths).
  • Use BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) pellets, which specifically target mosquito larvae without harming other wildlife.
  • Encourage natural predators by installing bat houses or supporting dragonfly habitat.
  • Create airflow with fans on patios to make it harder for mosquitoes to land.
  • Use personal protection, such as repellent clothing or citronella candles.
  • Protect dragonfly habitat (major mosquito predators)
  • Maintain natural shoreline vegetation
  • Plant native plants that support dragonflies, birds and bats which actually reduce mosquito populations
Finding Balance
Mosquitoes may be a nuisance, but they are also part of a larger ecological system. Effective control doesn’t mean eliminating them entirely, it means managing them responsibly. 

By choosing targeted, environmentally friendly methods, we can protect ourselves while also safeguarding pollinators, wildlife, and the ecosystems we all depend on.
Muskoka Species At Risk List

Mosquito Repellent PLANTS?

There is some truth to plants repelling mosquitoes (e.g. lavender, basil, sage, garlic and marigolds) but it's often overstated: While they contain compounds that mosquitoes dislike, the effect is very localized and weak. They work best when the leaves are crushed or the oils are extracted and they won’t protect a yard or shoreline. 

What About Citronella?
There are actually two plants, one of them (mosquito plant geranium, the one most marketed as a citronella plant) does not emit enough repellent compounds into the air to matter. The other one, true citronella grass is a tropical grass (like lemongrass) which DOES repel mosquitoes - but it's the oil extracted from it (in candles and sprays) that provides short-term, localized effectiveness, not the plant itself.


Resources

For Your Awareness:

In 2025, the Echo Lake Association received an email from a local pest control operator offering services to our community. Here was our reply:

Absolutely not! Pesticide applications of any kind are not welcome or supported within our association. We will not be engaging pesticide service providers now or in the future.

Our core mandate is to protect lake water quality, shoreline health, and local biodiversity. A substantial body of scientific and regulatory evidence demonstrates that many commonly used pesticides:

• Contaminate surface water through runoff and groundwater movement, where they can persist and harm aquatic invertebrates that form the foundation of lake food webs.
• Are toxic to pollinators and beneficial insects, including bees, butterflies, and other species essential to ecosystem function.
• Reduce insect populations that birds, fish, amphibians, and bats depend on, contributing to broader wildlife declines documented across North America.
• Remain active in soil and vegetation, exposing non-target organisms through multiple pathways and creating cumulative ecosystem impacts. 

In lake and shoreline environments, even properly applied products present an unacceptable risk due to proximity to water and the sensitivity of aquatic systems. 

Our association supports and promotes non-chemical approaches such as native plantings, habitat restoration, source reduction for nuisance species, and integrated pest management practices that avoid pesticide use. Given our environmental mandate, this is a firm policy position and not open for reconsideration.

No response was ever received. We hope you will not ever spray pesticides - not just around Echo Lake, but ANYWHERE.


The Real Cost Of 'Safe' Pesticides


A huge thanks to Michelle Kavanagh who arranged for a local landscaper to write an article on her experience with the after-effects of pesticide sprays (insecticides or herbicides). Many companies tout them as being safe, but it’s buyer beware. They want to make a sale but what’s the real cost?

Thank you, Sarah, for writing this eye-opening article!!

Muskoka, the land of fun and sun. As a child, I was told that at our cottage, we had five seasons: ‘Summer, Fall, Winter, Spring, and Bug Season!’ 

When we think of our time at the cottage, we usually think about lazy days spent in the sun, enjoying the warm breeze while being next to the lake. Bonfires with the aroma of crisp marshmallows as the moon rises high above the detailed treetop landscape. Or the thought of being out on the water catching the ‘big one’ with a family member.

When we think of these fun moments, we forget the high-pitched whine that keeps us up at night or the quick and involuntary slap of our skin as the enemy lands for a snack. What about the constant itching behind our ears and the nape of our neck, caused by neglecting those areas with the spray of the communal insect repellent?

In recent years a new product has been introduced to local homeowners and cottagers. Yes, I am talking about external Mosquito Repellant. This product is sprayed within the treeline, along the outside perimeter of the living spaces on your property. Anywhere you want to enjoy your outdoor living spaces to be free from ‘harmful’ insects. This sounds great, but do you know how it affects other insects and wildlife? What about the compounds and ingredients that are used to create this fairly new product?

How about I tell you about why I am authoring this article? It’s about my experience with these products and why I feel it necessary to share this information. As a landscaper, I have had to work all over Muskoka and in all the seasons, including bug season! Because this product is gaining in popularity, I have been onsite of many residences that have used this product.

On one occasion, I arrived at a site an hour and a half after the pesticide was sprayed. At first, I did not think much of it. Yes, there was a particular scent in the breeze as well as a residual moisture in areas the sun could not reach, but it was the odd behaviour of various insects that caught my attention. I heard the chirping from two Cicadas. This is not anything out of the norm on a hot summer afternoon, but on this day, it was different. I quickly found the first Cicada; it was in a state of paralysis, aside from one quick vibration to create their famous mating call.

The part that was worrisome, the entrails were being exuded from its abdomen. I felt sorry for this creature and thought it was calling on its friend for help, or to hide from an unknown predator. I decided to look for the other, and when I found it, the same circumstance.

At first, I thought a parasite had gotten hold of these unfortunate beings. Obviously, I did not have the capabilities to inspect for such a thing and thought what a weird occurrence.

I resumed work and thought nothing more of it. A while later while weeding along a granite walkway, I noticed a Two-Striped Grasshopper with the same symptoms: Paralyzed with entrails! Ok now I am starting to think about a common factor, and just as I realize that the area I am working in is still moist from the pesticide, I watched as a Dragonfly fell into a patch of Sweet Woodruff. I watched in disbelief as it fluttered slowly, then stopped. It tried one more time before its abdomen curled inwards, and finally excreted its organs. I moved closer to inspect only to be faced with the facts that I am watching this beautiful creature slowly die.
I ended that day by searching the web for any information I could about these products. I would like to share a few highlights of the information found:

Some of these spray products contain Allium Sativum and/or Pyrethroids. Allium Sativum is created by garlic. It has a sulphur compound called allicin. Allicin emits a strong odour which has been known to deter mosquitos, hence why it used in these pesticides.

However, garlic is known to be highly toxic to bees and their larvae, and should never be sprayed during pollination. As we all know, pollination happens over the entire summer months; if we can see the bees, they are out pollinating. Garlic is also known to be a scent that repels birds. During my research, I had read that in some cases, garlic will cause oxidative damage to tissues that leads to the destruction of red blood cells, causing anemia in birds. This in turn causes injury to the kidneys and thus, results in a shortened lifespan.

Now Pyrethroids are a different additive altogether as they are a manufactured chemical. They have been created to mimic the natural structure of Pyrethrins, which are found naturally in some Chrysanthemum plants. Pyrethrins have been used against insects since the 1950’s.

But due to the difficulties in impurities, the chemical, pyrethroids, was produced and found to last longer. It has been documented that pyrethroids are practically non-toxic to birds but highly toxic to honeybees.

In another document, it was made clear that pyrethroids are highly to very highly toxic to fish, amphibians and aquatic insects. This means that any overspray into any forms of water is adversely affecting the water habitats.

This product can also leach into water systems as pyrethroids are harder to break down. Should a contracted company be scheduled on a windy day, there is no guarantee that this product can be maintained to a certain location or property. And due to the volume of chemical sprayed, it does not always hit the targeted areas and falls to the ground.

In tests, mammals that have been subject to pyrethroids have been noted as having trouble breathing, failed pregnancies and in some cases, acute tremors.

These are only two active ingredients that have been used within these pesticide sprays. Although these ingredients show adverse side effects, they do and are approved by the Canadian and American Governments.

As a landscaper and fellow Muskokan, I understand the annoyance that comes with the whirring and buzzing of our national bloodsuckers. And I am a heavy user of bug repellent with a favourite brand used.

However, I am for saving our ecosystem; these insects are all part of our ecosystem. I feel that the use of these items is causing acute decimation of the population of our pollinating insects as well as our birds that feed on these prey. I urge everyone to do their own investigating into these products. Understand what they do, how they work and ultimately what the adverse effects are on the environment and your health. I was witness to these effects on that fateful day, and I fear that overuse of these products will be the extermination of many species.

About the Author: Sarah has been an avid nature lover since she could first walk. Her heart belongs to Echo Lake and its surrounding Muskoka areas. She spends most of her days running her business Raven’s View Landscaping, working in gardens, and creating pollinating landscapes with the mindset of creating a brighter future.

Sarah Soberg

Contact Information

Website: https://ravensviewlandscaping.ca
Facebook: @ravensviewlandscapinginc
Email: ravensviewlandscaping@gmail.com

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