Recent rainfall across the Florida Keys has mosquito-control crews working to keep mosquito populations under control.
Phil Goodman, Monroe County Mosquito Control District Commissioner for District Two and board chair, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about what’s going on with mosquitos.
The Keys received anywhere from a half-inch of rain in Key West to as much as three and a half inches in parts of the Middle Keys, with one and a half to two inches reported in the Upper Keys.
Inspectors were working throughout the weekend, with mosquito-control trucks and helicopters deployed to treat mosquito larvae.
“All our trucks are operational. All our helicopters are in the air,” Goodman said. “We should be getting control of all of the larvae within the next couple of days.”
The district’s efforts are particularly important because of the risk of mosquito-borne diseases, including those transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito.
Goodman said, “We have a very proactive, very robust proactive mosquito control program for disease control, particularly for the Aedes aegypti mosquito.”
In Hillsborough County more than 100 cases of locally transmitted mosquito-borne disease have been reported in recent weeks. Hillsborough County has sought assistance from mosquito-control districts in Manatee and Pasco counties.
Goodman said those districts will be reimbursed for their costs through memorandums of understanding with Hillsborough County.
The situation demonstrates the importance of maintaining adequately funded mosquito-control programs because mosquitoes do not recognize county boundaries.
Goodman also discussed concerns about Amendment 3 on the November Florida ballot, saying changes to local government funding could affect mosquito-control programs, particularly in counties that are already considered fiscally constrained.
About 29 Florida counties currently have limited mosquito-control budgets, with some spending less than $500,000 and others having little or no dedicated funding.
Goodman said the Florida Mosquito Control Association has not taken an official position on Amendment 3, but he has served as a spokesman providing information about the potential implications so voters can make informed decisions.
Meanwhile, mosquito populations in the Florida Keys have generally remained lower this year, in part because weather conditions have allowed crews to treat mosquito breeding areas between periods of rain and wind.
“When it does rain, we’ve been able to get out and treat and keep those numbers down,” Goodman said.
He reminded residents that they can also help by eliminating standing water around their homes, including water collected in spare tires, containers and low-lying areas.
Goodman also announced that the Mosquito Control District would hold its monthly meeting today at 3:30 p.m., followed by a final public hearing at 5:05 p.m. to finalize its budget.
He said the district is again proposing a rollback budget for ad valorem taxes, marking the third consecutive year at the same budget level.
Goodman attributed the district’s ability to maintain services without increasing its workforce in part to new technologies that have improved mosquito-control operations.
“We work very hard to keep our costs down, but keep our service up,” Goodman said.
For more information, click here: https://www.keysmosquito.org/