LCMCD uses variety of techniques to reduce mosquito population

By CJ HADDAD cjhaddad@breezenewspapers com

As Florida’s rainy season gets underway and afternoon showers are part of the afternoon commute, breeding conditions for the pesky mosquito will drastically improve

The Lee County Mosquito Control District works year-round to curb the insect that can leave you with itchy bumps and can carry disease

The LCMCD uses a variety of biological, mechanical and chemical control techniques to reduce mosquito populations, with all materials used thoroughly tested as part of the U S Environmental Protection Agency registration process

The materials used to control mosquito larvae are called larvicides and are applied by ground and air using advanced technology, including satellite navigation and global positioning for precision application targeting

“We continue to have crews out daily completing inspections and treating areas when needed,” Community E n g a g e m e n t C o o r d i n a t o r J a m i e F o w l e r s a i d “Treatments are based off of surveillance and data The district uses data from daily inspections and traps in order to determine and justify a treatment for the area ”

While a mosquito’s adult life span lasts typically three to six weeks up to five months in favorable conditions and many serve as food for birds, dragonflies and spiders, their bite can transmit unfavorable virus to animals and humans.

Mosquito-borne diseases, such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, West Nile virus, Zika and others, can pose a risk to humans Thanks to its organized methods of control, the LCMCD has greatly reduced the incidence of such diseases The district monitors for arbovirus transmission using mosquito pools from trap collections and by using sentinel chicken flocks distributed around the county