Fall season mosquito tips from Miami-Dade County

The beginning of autumn marks the point at which average daily temperatures begin to cool in Miami-Dade, and the rainy season starts to taper off. Though the mosquito numbers also take a dip, they do not zero out entirely. As always, the Miami-Dade Department of Solid Waste Management’s (DSWM) Mosquito Control Division will continue to surveil the mosquito populations, offer domestic and commercial inspections, and provide area-wide treatments whenever necessary.

"In Miami-Dade County, mosquito season never ends, so we must stay vigilant all year to protect public health," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. "I urge everyone to drain standing water to prevent mosquito breeding, apply EPA-registered repellent to exposed skin or wear long-sleeved, loose-fitting clothing to reduce bites. Congratulations to our team for success in curbing mosquito borne disease, and we urge everyone to do your part."

With the county again under a mosquito-borne illness alert due to the confirmation of eight locally-transmitted case of dengue, the division has once more taken to area-wide truck spray treatments with a larvicide containing Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis). Made from the spores of a bacteria that only kills mosquito larvae, this pesticide is harmless to non-targeted species. This is in conjunction with truck spraying to control adult mosquitoes, which quickly and safely reduces the numbers of the flying pests.

"Our environmental techs service more than 350 traps on a weekly basis, our lab techs identify, classify, and record data on an ongoing basis, and our inspectors remain out in the field taking care of resident requests," said DSWM Director Aneisha Daniel, PhD. "I am proud of our team that delivers excellence every day, all the time."

The division works closely with their partners at the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) by quickly and aggressively treating suspected disease cases and then repeating the treatment protocol once the disease case has been confirmed. They also continue to collaborate with the University of Florida’s Florida Medical Entomology Lab, and Florida International University on pesticide resistance testing and viral detection, and mosquito research projects, respectively.

"Despite there being less rain in the forecast, there is still concern about container-breeding mosquitoes, which are the likeliest species to transmit the viruses that cause dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever," said Mosquito Control Division Chief Dr. John-Paul Mutebi. "It only takes one ounce of water for mosquitoes like the Aedes aegypti species to carry through their lifecycle."

The county's 311 Contact Center facilitates mosquito inspections and is accessible by dialing 311, and through the web at miamidade.gov/mosquitoinspection. The MDC Solid Waste mobile app for Android and iPhone can also be used to request an inspection.

Click here to get tips on how to tamp down mosquitoes this fall. For more information about our mosquito control division, including information about the pesticides used in the program and truck sprays, please visit miamidade.gov/mosquito.