SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – If you have spent time outside this week, you may have noticed the mosquitoes.
Theressa Jones, the manager of Seminole County’s Mosquito Control Program, says her office is already getting calls this year.
“As soon as the weather is pretty and everybody is out, they start hitting the beach, everybody starts calling. They’ve noticed it,” said Jones.
Jones says it’s been noticeable, even this winter. Warm and wet weather has led to an increase in the mosquito population.
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“Usually, this time of year we’re a little slow,” said Jones. “We’ve been busy since January. We’ve been trapping since January. Our trap counts have been elevated.”
This week, the county deployed their sentinel chickens which they use to monitor mosquito-borne illnesses. Chicken flocks are placed in coops throughout the county to provide critical information.
“They’re kind of our front line to let us know if we have mosquito diseases,” said Jones.
The chickens can help the county detect a disease before a person gets sick.
“We test them for antibodies every week. If they have an antibody to a certain mosquito-borne illness then we know we need to go to that area and suppress the adult mosquito population,” said Jones.
There are no reported illnesses in Seminole County so far this year.
The health department keeps track of cases and advisories that are sent out. In June, several sentinel chickens from a flock in Orange County tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis Virus (EEE) infection.
Just last week, Puerto Rico issued a public health emergency after a spike in dengue cases.
Heavy rainfall and warm weather generally mean there are more mosquitoes around.
Jones says people wear long sleeves or avoid outdoor activities at dawn or dusk, use mosquito repellent with DEET, and clear out standing water in plants, dog bowls, kiddie pools, tires, and other containers.
On Saturday, April 13 the county is holding a waste tire collection event from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Households can get rid of up to 5 tires for free.
Tires will be accepted at the following locations:
- Central Transfer Station - 1950 SR 419 Longwood
- Seminole County Landfill - 1930 E. Osceola Rd, Geneva
For more information on mosquitoes, click HERE.
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