Image via Pixabay
If you’ve seen the recent headlines about dengue in the Tampa Bay area, you may be feeling anxious. As Vice Mayor, I coordinated a town hall on Sept. 21 with Caroline Pickart, a senior environmental specialist with Pinellas County Public Works. The presentation was exceptionally informative — some of it was even surprising. I came away with a much better picture of how our county approaches mosquito control and even found certain details reassuring. It contained a lot of information, but I wanted to pass along the highlights.
How the County Keeps Watch
Pinellas County uses flocks of sentinel chickens, regularly tested for virus antibodies, as an early warning system before human cases appear. That data, along with mosquito CO2-baited traps, ground-level trap counts, and Department of Health reports, guides decisions on fogging and aerial treatments. And those helicopters over our wetlands? They drop a targeted granular product called BTI, not liquid chemicals sprayed over neighborhoods. Caroline explained that overnight fogging targets adult mosquitoes by using specific droplet sizes to minimize impact on non-target insects.
What Is BTI, Exactly?
BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) is a naturally occurring bacterium that affects only mosquito larvae. It disrupts their digestive system before they become biting adults. It does not harm fish, pets, birds, bees, or other wildlife, and it breaks down naturally in the environment.
Here are the local numbers. As of Sept. 12, Hillsborough County had seen a notable rise in dengue cases, while Pinellas had seven confirmed cases. You can check current treatment activity in your own area using the county’s online maps.
Know Your Mosquito
Only females bite, since they need blood protein to produce eggs. Males stick to nectar and pollinate. The Aedes aegypti is the main dengue carrier. I found it particularly interesting to learn that it is a weak flyer that stays close to home and, unlike most mosquitoes, bites during the day, most often at the ankles. That’s good news because it means what happens in our own yards makes a real difference.
This is where we all come in. Mosquito control isn’t just something the county does for us. It’s something we do together. Since county services can have long wait lists, doing our part matters even more. For example, I walk my property daily checking for standing water, and I faithfully use BTI dunks in my pond and water feature, including mesh-covered rain barrels.
The county recommends simple steps you can start today:
- Walk your yard at least weekly and dump anything holding water: buckets, toys, tires, bird baths, pet bowls, plant saucers, tarps…anything that can hold water.
- Check gutters, drains, and the bottoms of recycling and garbage bins, especially if uncovered.
- If you can’t dump it, use BTI dunks or bits in ponds, bromeliads, or rain barrels (safe for fish and wildlife —and easy to find at hardware stores, for example). Gambusia (mosquito fish) are also recommended for ornamental ponds.
- Dress smartly in light-colored, loose-fitting long sleeves. Mosquitoes can bite through tight clothing.
- The county advises against using bug zappers and ultrasonic apps because they are ineffective or may inadvertently attract mosquitoes to a home.
- The county recommends using a repellent with DEET or Picaridin. The key is to use something effective, whatever your preference.
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