From David Volz
Miami-Dade County remains under a mosquito-borne illness alert due to local and travel-related cases of dengue. The Mosquito Control Division is working closely with the Florida Department of Health to fight against the spread of viruses by utilizing an aggressive protocol of inspections and truck spray applications when a human case is first suspected, and repeating the protocol when a case is confirmed. With an uptick in the number of dengue cases reported in Miami-Dade, Mosquito Control reminds residents to Drain and Cover.
“All of us here in Miami-Dade County are very familiar with the discomfort and illness that mosquitoes can cause,” says Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “As we continue to work for the safety and health of our community, it is imperative that our residents join our ‘Mosquito Control Team’ in taking easy, proactive steps to reduce mosquito populations. I ask everyone to review the Drain and Cover protocols. These simple steps can significantly control mosquito infestations in our community.”
The Mosquito Control Division is asking everyone to do their part in protecting against mosquito bites by draining any standing or rain irrigation water they find. This limits the breeding sources available to mosquitoes around homes or businesses. Residents should also cover exposed skin with a United States Environmental Protection Agency registered repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, or IR–3535 as the active ingredient before spending extended time outside.
Here are the individual components that make up our integrated pest management program:
· Surveillance – monitoring more than 320 mosquito traps set around the County, collecting samples of the mosquito populations, providing an informative snapshot of their presence; this, along with resident complaints and requests for service, informs truck treatment decisions.
· Inspections – division representatives closely check county homes or businesses for mosquito breeding and the presence of adult mosquitoes, eliminating both when found.
· Mosquito ID / data recording – a team of lab technicians study, identify, and log mosquito numbers, species, and genders, send select samples away for disease testing; this information sources larger academic and scientific studies.
· Education and outreach sessions, both in-person and online – teaching groups of students, seniors, and residents about mosquito control and how to protect from bites.
· Social Media – frequent posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram from @305Mosquito accounts about mosquito control and featuring protective tips inform the public on best practices.
· Disease case protocol – intensive inspections and truck spray treatments in the areas surrounding where cases originate are first performed when suspected, and again when confirmed.
· Larviciding – preventive truck spray treatments target mosquito larvae with the bacteria-based Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) agent.
· Adulticiding – reactive truck spray treatments target adult mosquitoes with a rotation of substances, now including MosquitoMist an organophosphate, to stop the spread of dengue.
One of the adulticides in use is MosquitoMist, which is an organophosphate pesticide registered for use by the EPA, and one that has been successfully and safely used in the past as part of mosquito control efforts. It is applied in an ultra-low volume setting by our licensed and highly-trained professionals, and in strict accordance with its labeling.
