Mild temperatures year-round means that “mosquito season” carries on, almost uninterrupted in some areas of Florida.  Collier County has just begun testing the use of helicopters in their municipal mosquito control efforts.  They are not delivering a spray from the helicopters – it’s something new and different that will be falling from the sky.

In Central Mass, we are used to seeing the Central Mass Mosquito Control Project’s trucks delivering mosquito spray along roadsides and on municipally-owned land.  As many of us know, it takes additional professional mosquito protection for our personal yards to keep our families safe.  The municipal sprays do not reach the areas around our home, where we spend sunny days and warm evenings outdoors with our families.  One Florida County’s municipal mosquito control project has begun delivering a new mosquito elimination method, said to be safe for everything and everyone, except for mosquitoes.

Mosquito protection delivered from a helicopter?

The Collier County Mosquito Control District has outfitted helicopters with special tanks containing a new mosquito killing solution, which is said to look a lot like kitty litter.  These specially-formulated pellets are made with an effective mosquito eliminating insecticide, which is safe for the environment and other animals.  That is a very important note, because these pellets are dropped into streams and open water sources, where mosquito larvae are present.  Helicopters drop the pellets into bodies of water, giving mosquito larvae a welcome source of food.  Once they feed on the pellets, they are eliminated.  Meaning they will never even emerge from the water, or threaten residents with pesky bites or mosquito-borne illnesses.

Central Mass mosquito aerial sprays

Late summer 2019, the spike in EEE (Eastern equine encephalitis) threatened Central Mass residents.  At that time, certain areas saw aerial mosquito elimination sprays.  In addition to the aerial sprays in certain regions of Massachusetts, some schools canceled outdoor events and re-scheduled football games to keep residents off the playing fields during prime mosquito bite times in the evening.

EEE is potentially deadly, and effective mosquito control is absolutely necessary in 2020 and beyond.  Choose professional mosquito control with an EPA-registered mosquito barrier spray, throughout spring, summer, and fall.

It will be interesting to see if these new mosquito control pellets doe their job in the fight against mosquitoes in Collier County, Florida!

As always, I recommend calling a reputable mosquito control company before springtime to get your mosquito protection underway for the upcoming mosquito season.  Don’t rely on municipal sprays and personal mosquito protection alone.  Your family’s health could depend on it!