Springtime mosquito control tips for Miami-Dade County residents

Daylight saving time (DST) draws a couple of interesting parallels with mosquitoes in Miami-Dade County. For one, more daylight means warmer weather, which portends an increase in mosquito activity. The other similarity mirrors how the US Senate recently passed legislation to make DST permanent, and how mosquitoes are a permanent presence here in Miami-Dade because they never really go away in the winter.

This all underscores the importance of year-round mitigation efforts by the Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control Division and personal protective measures that are a good idea, regardless of the time of year.

"Although Mosquito Control in Miami-Dade County is a year-round endeavor, we do in fact see activity pick up in the spring," says Mosquito Control Division Director Dr. William Petrie. "The increased rainfall, especially as the calendar turns to May, as well as the rise in average daily temperatures, make for an accelerated mosquito life cycle, and thus more mosquitoes. Tidal flooding, as well as rainfall, can also produce flood-water mosquitoes in mangroves and wetlands."

The County keeps a close watch on mosquito numbers by sampling populations through a robust surveillance program that features more than 320 traps set throughout Miami-Dade. The program includes a team of nearly 10 environmental technicians charged with retrieving trap collections on a weekly basis. Learn more about inspections and trapping efforts here: bit.ly/MDCSurveillance.

Residents can protect themselves from mosquito bites by adhering to the following:

· Requesting mosquito inspections when necessary, and reporting abandoned pools and standing water online at miamidade.gov/311Direct

· Installing mesh screening on windows, doors, and patios to keep mosquitoes out

· Keeping pool pumps on a timer and balancing the chemical levels of swimming pools all year round

· Getting rid of any unused items in your yard that may collect rain or irrigation water

· Using the larvicide Bti in granular form for bromeliads and dunk form in birdbaths and fountains to prevent breeding in them

· Wearing long sleeves, pants, socks and shoes

· Applying an EPA-registered mosquito repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR-3535 as active ingredient

· Refreshing the water set for outdoor pets frequently

· Keeping rain gutters free and clear of debris to prevent clogging and standing water

The division works closely with Florida Department of Health officials to mitigate the spread of any mosquito-borne illnesses. Miami-Dade County's truck spray treatment program was recently adjusted to include high mosquito trap count areas and neighborhoods not regularly serviced before, such as: Allapattah, Cutler Bay, Hialeah, and North Miami. More information, scheduling, and route boundaries are available online at bit.ly/MDCTruckSpray.

For additional tips and to request mosquito inspections from smartphones, residents should download and install the Miami-Dade Solid Waste Management Department mobile app, available for iPhone and Android. The division shares planned truck spray routes on its Facebook page and on Twitter @305Mosquito.

More information about Miami-Dade County’s Mosquito Control program is available at miamidade.gov/mosquito.

Like the Mosquito Control Division page on Instagram.