UPDATES

10-24-2014:  A Mosquito Advisory has been issued for Flagler County based on West Nile Virus antibodies in sentinel chickens.  The district has been aggressively spraying neighborhoods to lower mosquito numbers, but personal protection from bites is necessary. 

A new publication by the University of Florida, IFAS Extension, titled Florida Resident’s Guide to Mosquito Control is available.  The link can be found under Mosquito Info for Homeowners on this website.

9/29/2014:  Heavy rainfall September 25—27th (up to 10”) is expected to produce a significant increase in mosquito activity beginning around October 5th.   Preparations are underway to meet this increase.  Both truck spraying and aerial spraying may be required.  Trucks will spray subdivisions, while aerial spraying takes place in woodlands adjacent to subdivisions and along the perimeter of the district.  Schedules may be viewed elsewhere on this web site.

06/30/2014:  For those interested, the district has mosquito fish available for stocking ornamental ponds, water collection barrels, and any other permanent water body without fish.  These fish are voracious consumers of mosquito larvae. Watch the video .  There is no charge for the fish.

Mosquito populations continue at below control threshold levels.  This should change as summer rainfalls increase.

6/25/2014:  Mosquito numbers are well below any control threshold.  The few that are flying and biting are considered “normal background levels” for Florida.  All the service requests we received the past week were found to be locally growing their own problem, or their neighbor’s problem.  See the comments below.

Mosquito control programs are heavily regulated by federal and state agencies to protect public and environmental health.  Routine spraying is not permitted.  If you are walking at dawn or dusk you should expect to encounter an occasional mosquito over the course of your walk.  A small hand towel will serve you well, both as a defense and for perspiration.

Expectations of a mosquito-free environment are unrealistic. 

06/19/2014:  District residents are advised to systematically search for water holding containers around their homes following the first imported and confirmed case of Chikungunya in Flagler County.  Both Chikungunya and Dengue fever are found in the Caribbean and Cuba and are being brought back into the states by travelers bitten by mosquitoes while abroad.  Two species of mosquito are associated with the diseases (Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti) and both live and breed in close proximity to man.  These mosquitoes bite during the day, and breed around the yard in containers, tires, toys, lawn furniture, clay pot water trays, bird baths, bromeliads and any other item capable of holding water.  No container is too small.  
Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle and joint pain.  There are no antiviral medicines.  The disease usually runs its course in a week.  Deaths are rare.

The best control is to break the life cycle of the mosquito by eliminating water in containers.

More information on Chikungunya and Dengue Fever may be found here: Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Florida Department of Health (FDOH) and Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory.

05/13/14:  Mosquito season is now underway in the district especially for those living in the vicinity of our cypress wetlands.  The final days of April and the first days of May flooded the wetlands and mosquitoes have begun emerging, and accompanying them are the late spring biting yellow flies.  The district has effective control products for mosquitoes but not for flies. 

Yellow flies feed during the day when our sprays are ineffective.   For those with large numbers of yellow flies, the district provides free glue for the construction of yellow fly traps. See more information.

08/12/13: What are: Biting Midges or No-see-ums?

05/09/13: Mosquitoes are beginning to emerge after almost 7.0 inches of rain last week. Over the next week to ten days, mosquito populations will be well above normal and the district will be spraying subdivisions by truck between 10 pm and 6 am. Flooded woodlands will be sprayed by helicopter. General areas of helicopter spraying will be along and west of US1, south of SR100 between 195 and US1, and west of US1 between Bunnell and Korona. You should avoid the outdoors at dusk and dawn for the next week and use repellants on children at bus stops. Spray schedules will be posted by noon the day before that evenings application .

04/2/13:  For the 2013 season the district will be changing the time of its spraying.  Instead of from 3 am to 6 am, the district will now go from 10 pm to 2 am.  This will allow an additional hour of spray time and better access to southeasterly evening breezes to drift the control products.

01/03/2013: And now we are back for this New Year!.