Storms Bring Boom In Mosquito Population

There are a lot of "big" things associated with hurricanes: Flooding, downed trees, power outages, flattened homes and the like.

But there's something else that follows in a major storm's wake that, although no bigger than a quarter, can plague a recovering area.

Hernando County's Department of Mosquito Control has recorded a 37 percent increase in the number of complaints about mosquitoes compared to this time last year. Overall call volume has doubled.

Director Guangye Hu attributes the spike to recent heavy rains and an increase in the number of vacant homes because of the housing crisis. With no one home, backyard pools are becoming scummy havens for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.

There have been about 200 calls concerning stagnant pools this year compared to 61 last year, Hu said.

Hu and his staff rely on the public to inform them about where mosquitoes are becoming a problem. Once they have that information, they form a plan of attack.

The best approach is not to just kill adult mosquitoes, but target the eggs, larvae and pupae as well. In a process called "source reduction," staff drop chemical pellets into standing water, be it a roadside puddle or the weeds lining a lake.

The chemicals can maintain their effectiveness for up to five months.

Staff also harnesses Mother Nature's own weapons in their battle against a booming mosquito population. Mosquito-eating minnows and fish are distributed around the county by staff and are also available to the public to use.

But for a full-blown infestation, such as the one that followed Tropical Storm Fay, Mosquito Control depends on a fleet of trucks that issue a spray lethal to mosquitoes.

"That's the last step," Hu said.

Usually at least one of the six trucks are on the road for about four hours beginning around dusk - rush hour for bloodsuckers. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, as evidenced by a recent breakout of daytime mosquitoes in north Hernando County.

The spray, which is a synthetic replication of a natural mosquito repellant, is effective for a 300-square-foot radius, or more depending on the wind direction.

But Mosquito Control can't do it all.

All told, six people are responsible for controlling the mosquito population over 380 square miles. It's the public's responsibility to not only inform officials of a problem, but to be proactive and search for standing water on their own property.

To report a mosquito problem, call 352-754-4060 or visit Mosquito Control online at www.hernandocounty.us/mosquito/

Mosquito Facts

There are about 3,000 species of mosquitoes worldwide. The United States can be credited with about 300 of these species. Florida is home to more than 70 of them, and Hernando County surveillance has trapped and identified almost 50 species within county borders.

The itching we feel after a mosquito bites is our body's reaction to the anticoagulant injected with the mosquito's saliva as she drills for blood.

There are many ideas as to what attracts mosquitoes. A proven attractant is CO2 (our breath), and other things thought to bring them to us are body chemistry, scents (perfume/deodorant) and dark-colored clothing.

Source: Hernando County Department of Mosquito Control