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The Mosquito Control and Habitat Management Division at Miami-Dade County’s Department of Solid Waste Management informs that the program to regularly larvicide select areas by truck, which is typically reduced every winter, has continued moving forward this season.
With the county still under a mosquito-borne illness alert by the Florida Department of Health, and the continued threat of locally spread dengue, spray routes targeting mosquito larvae are important to control the mosquito population. This measure is coupled with ongoing mosquito inspections, which are administered upon request, and a surveillance program that includes more than 320 specialized mosquito traps.
“Whether we are reducing the breeding, spraying to combat mosquito numbers, or using repellent to avoid bites, preemptive measures remain the most effective when it comes to mosquito control,” said division director Dr. William Petrie. “We urge residents to protect themselves from bites by draining any standing water on their property and covering skin to reduce the area available for bites.”
In addition to the Little River, Wynwood, and Miami Beach areas, which have been the traditional mosquito hotspots, the areas still receiving biweekly truck spray treatments include Allapattah, Coral Gables, Cutler Bay, Hialeah, Hialeah Gardens, Homestead, Indian Creek, Kendall, Miami Gardens, North Miami, North Miami Beach, Opa-locka, Pinecrest, Tamiami, and West Miami.
The bacteria-based pesticide Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis), which is registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is delivered as a fine mist from the truck-mounted Buffalo Turbine spraying device. Learn more at bit.ly/M-DCTruckSpray. Truck spray treatments for adult mosquitoes continue as needed; there are no plans to spray aerially any time soon.
Inspections of homes and businesses located within Miami-Dade County are conducted by highly trained and licensed professionals at no additional cost to residents. County inspectors look for mosquito breeding and adult mosquitoes on site and proceed to eliminate them if found. Staffers also treat local storm drains and leave behind information to help the public protect themselves from bites and identify breeding sources.
Residents can request an inspection by calling the county’s call 311 call center, by applying online through miamidade.gov/311direct, or by downloading and installing the MDC Solid Waste mobile app available for Android and iPhone.
Mosquito surveillance is conducted through the use of 320-plus mosquito traps set throughout Miami-Dade. Serviced weekly by a team of surveillance technicians, the data mined from these samples includes mosquito population numbers, species, gender, and whether the mosquitoes are carrying communicable diseases such as dengue, West Nile, chikungunya, or Zika.
This information also steers treatment applications and provides invaluable information for scientific research by partner institutions such as the University of Florida, the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, the University of Miami, Florida International University, and the University of South Florida.
Residents are encouraged to follow these tips to help keep mosquitoes from breeding and biting:
• Drain any standing water found on your property that can facilitate breeding;
• Cover exposed skin with clothing or a mosquito repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR-3535;
• Discard any objects not in use and that can pool water, such as toys, planters, tires, or home appliances;
• Install fine mesh screening on doors, windows, porches, or patios, and keep them in a good state;
• Regularly add the larvicide Bti in granular form to bromeliads, and in dunk form to fountains or decorative ponds;
• Periodically, clear out rain gutters to keep them from clogging and facilitating breeding;
• Change out the water in outdoor pet dishes and birdbaths once a week in order to disrupt the mosquito life cycle;
• Ensure that car and boat tarps are installed and or stored properly so that they do not accumulate rain or irrigation water, and
• Add sand to tree and lawn holes to prevent them from collecting water.
Learn more about the county’s mosquito control program, get additional tips, and request an inspection online at miamidade.gov/mosquito.
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