Several Central Florida counties to start aerial spraying for mosquitos after Hurricane Ian

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida has seen a mosquito increase since Hurricane Ian soaked the Sunshine State, leaving swimming pools and puddles of standing water the little bloodsuckers use to lay their eggs. “Well they carry diseases, number one, and they’re a pest!” says Winter Park resident John McDade.

Central Florida counties are stepping up the combat. Seminole County has already been spraying for mosquitoes. Orange, Brevard, and Flagler counties will start aerial spraying, this week. “We saw a spike in mosquito populations after the storm. That resource is available to us, so we decided to put in a request to try and get some relief for some of our residents,” says Steve Harrison, who runs Orange County’s Mosquito Control division.

Spraying will occur within the evenings and may take one or two nights. Brevard County will likely be spraying areas close to I-95. Flagler County will likely be spraying west of A1A and areas west of US-1. Orange County has their goal zones in Apopka, Hunter’s Creek and east Orlando. “It’s on the outskirts we get into areas that are wider that we can’t get good coverage with our truck sprays that we like to do the aerial sprays because we have a higher percentages of mosquitoes in those areas,” Harrison says.

The US EPA says the sprays will not be dangerous to people or pets. Public well being officers say apart from leaving itchy purple bites, mosquitoes additionally transmit harmful ailments. “What we see is encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis, we have seen zika, which is really bad for pregnant women, and west Nile virus, which can be somewhat more commonplace in Florida,” says Dr. Todd Husty, Seminole County Medical Director.

County officers are additionally asking folks to do their half, by protecting up or draining out any standing water on their properties.