ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health recently issued an alert after four cases of malaria, often spread through mosquitoes, were detected in Sarasota County.
Local leaders said the alert does not necessarily mean there will be a widespread outbreak, but people should take precautions.
Here’s what you need to know to keep your family safe this summer.
What is the safest and most effective choice for bug spray?
Miranda Tressler, the environmental program manager for Volusia County Mosquito Control, said you should wear EPA-approved repellents.
“You want to look for the active ingredients, DEET is one of them. Oil lemon eucalyptus is another one,” Tressler said.
The American Academy of Pediatrics said anyone over 2 months old can use DEET-based repellents with up to 30% concentration. Most DEET-based repellents start out at a concentration, with 5% that will last for about 90 minutes, so pick a spray that matches your activity.
“Read the directions. Sometimes they say to only apply in certain areas or put it on your hands and then apply it on your face. Sometimes there’s restrictions on the ages for the repellents,” Tressler said.
How can you protect your home from mosquitoes?
Watch for standing water.
“All you have to do is go around your yard at least once a week. We always say look up, down and all around because these things can be anywhere and dump (the water) out,” said Tressler, adding that some hidden mosquito breeding grounds include old tires, kiddie pools, potted plants, gutters and an over-watered lawn.
According to Tressler, domestic mosquitoes, found in containers around homes, are being collected at an increase of approximately 30%.
“This highlights the need for the public to assist by tipping and tossing standing water from items around their property,” Tressler said.
How often does mosquito spraying occur?
Most agencies plan their treatments based on surveillance data.
“We don’t spray on a schedule. We don’t spray every Tuesday just because it’s Tuesday. What we do is we collect data from the field every day,” Tressler said.
If you have a mosquito problem in your neighborhood, contact your local mosquito control.
Mosquito myths and facts
MYTH: Mosquitoes die after biting someone.
“Mosquitoes follow a life cycle just like a butterfly, except they do it mostly in water,” Tressler said.
FACT: Only female mosquitoes bite.
“Both male and female will eat nectar from flowers for energy, but only females are feeding on the blood,” Tressler said. “That is because the females need the blood for protein to lay the eggs.”
FACT: Not all mosquitoes are bad.
“There’s lots of different types of mosquitoes. Not all of them are bad,” Tressler said. “We monitor the types of species of mosquitoes and look at those trends over the year and then make treatment decisions when they hit our action thresholds.”