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Mosquito activity on the rise
Kimberly Kuizon reports
SARASOTA, Fla. - Collecting, testing and preparing for peak mosquito season has started at Sarasota County Mosquito Management.
"These are things we face every single year, and we have to be prepared for, and we need the public to be prepared as well," said Wade Brennan the manager of Sarasota Co. Mosquito Management
When rain picks up, even a small passing shower can bring life to the mini blood suckers.
"Once that occurs, they can actually go from larva to adult in 5-7 days," he said.
Mosquitos can lay upwards of 150-300 eggs at a time.
"It looks like a seed, at first glance, but this is one of the reasons why it’s important to dump water from containers of standing water outside your property because it only takes a small bit of water for mosquitos to lay eggs," said Natalie Barber an Environmental Specialist with Sarasota Co. Mosquito Management.
Mosquito Management asks residents to do their part by removing containers that hold standing water.
Wearing repellent, long and loose-fitting clothes.
Avoiding the outdoors at dawn and dusk during peak mosquito times.
And also knowing what kind of plants can hold mosquito larvas like Bromeliads
Last season, seven Malaria cases were reported in Sarasota County.
"As you are going from week to week you are finding new things and finding new areas where people may have been. We were even tracking where people worked because if they were working outside and exposing those mosquito populations then we had to treat those areas as well," said Brennan.
Malaria cleared up in Sarasota County by early September 2023.
Chickens are already being used to monitor for local viruses and new ways to spray, like drones, are being explored.
Brennan said a lot of help in keeping mosquito populations down starts at home.
"Last year we treated over 580,000 acres. We also treated over 2400 miles of ditches. With all those efforts we still cannot reduce the risk of mosquito viruses and parasites to the public completely," he said.
If you have a mosquito problem within Sarasota County, call 311 for more information or schedule a service request.
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