you are here: home > Eric Weiske

Who Is This Man, and Why Is He In My Neighbourhood?

I have received many calls and e-mails about this man from people who are wondering what he's doing. 

I was working in my home office today, Saturday August 18 2007, and he went past.  I dropped everything, got on my Vespa and gave chase to track him down.

As I caught up to him, he appeared to be dropping something into the Storm Drain and then spraying a dot on the cover.  He was riding a small scooter and didn't take long to do every Storm Drain on the street and move on to the next.  I pulled up beside him and introduced myself.

His name is Eric Weiske.  He is from Manitoba and he works for a company called the Canadian Centre for Mosquito Management.  His company has been hired by the Region of York to drop a few pellets into each Storm Drain to kill the mosquito larvae and thereby reduce the risk of West Nile Virus.

Eric told me that the system is efficient, and by using a motor scoter for the job, he can work all day and use only about $5.00 worth of gas.  With the flashing light on the scooter, a warning sign and his florescent safety vest, he can work without blocking traffic and creating a hazard.  He did mention that some drivers don't do well at sharing the road, but for the most part he feels quite safe.

Congratulations to the Region of York for providing an effective and environmentally friendly way of controlling West Nile Virus, without spraying pesticides.  Congratulations to the Canadian Centre for Mosquito Management for finding a way of delivering the service through an environmentally friendly and economical system, and thank you Eric for being in my neighbourhood.

I captured a few pictures of Eric at work, and if you see him, be sure to say "Hi."  He's working to let us breath a little easier and feel just a little bit safer.

Stop	Drop	Mark on Map
Mark the Grate	Ready to Go	On to the Next