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Pinellas mosquito fighters itching to take on nasty pests

Mosquito control division photo

This is the time of year to prevent mosquito larvae from becoming this biting, potentially disease-carrying pest, says Nancy Iannotti, Pinellas County mosquito control director.

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By Mark  Schantz | The Suncoast News

Published: June 26, 2009

Updated:

PALM HARBOR - The recent steamy weather is making mosquitoes more active, especially in the hours before sunset and sunrise.

Pinellas County mosquito control division personnel say they are using the latest scientific methods to stop the nasty pests before they can take to the air and bite.

In the meantime, they are warning people to avoid ineffective mosquito repellents.

If seasonal showers become a daily occurrence, the menacing pest will have a better chance of breeding anywhere there is just a few inches of standing water, said Nancy Iannotti, county mosquito control director.

Adult mosquitoes are akin to sharks "out searching for blood," she said.

Although some people think mosquito control merely controls the pests by spraying insecticide from helicopters, or big trucks along the road, it only uses that method over larger areas.

Mosquito Control technicians constantly search out and treat bodies of water in which mosquitoes are most likely to breed, Iannotti said. The idea is to prevent mosquito larva from maturing into the annoying insect.

There are various ways to eradicate mosquito larvae. All involve treating the water in which they breed so they never become an adult mosquito, Iannotti said. Waterfront areas, tide marshes, lakes, ponds, puddles and any are of standing water can be a mosquito breeding ground if not properly treated.

This year the mosquito control division has seen a rise in the number of complaints emanating from standing swimming pool water because of a growing number of foreclosed and abandoned homes, she said.

Some people who call the mosquito control hot line, 727-464-7503, Iannotti said, actually have standing water around their houses, giving mosquitoes a breeding area they could easily remove.

It is important to remember mosquitoes can breed in less than an inch of water so it is important not to let it accumulate in planters, drainage pipes, lawn ornaments, old tires, or any area from which it cannot percolate into the ground, Iannotti said.

Anyone who goes out during times when mosquitoes are most prevalent should wear an insect repellent such as DEET, Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus to keep the bugs away. Those have been scientifically proven as the best repellents, according to Iannotti.

Mosquito Control experts warn of using unproven remedies for trying to keep mosquitoes away. According to the Florida Mosquito Control Association, there is no scientific evidence vitamin B, brewer's yeast, garlic, beer, whisky, cigars or cigarettes can prevent insect bites.

Sonic devices and repellent wristbands that claim to mimic a sound of a dragonfly, bat or other mosquito predators have not been found to repel a mosquito or prevent it from laying eggs. In fact, it is not uncommon for a female mosquito to land directly on the sonic device rather than repel it, Jonathan F. Day of the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory, a University of Florida affiliate in Vero Beach, said in a report.

Studies have shown that yards with bug zappers may have more biting mosquitoes than yards without zappers, Day reported in the Florida Mosquito Control Association's newsletter.

Iannotti said the best prevention method is to not provide a place for a mosquito to lay eggs. With the humidity and rainy season just beginning, it is a good time to check for the most innocent places where standing water accumulates, such as a bird bath or feeder, and make your area less mosquito friendly.

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