Mosquito Control begins aerial larvae treatments Friday in Clearwater

Pinellas County Mosquito Control, in partnership with Lee County Mosquito Control, is conducting aerial liquid treatments targeting mosquito larvae on Friday in parts of Clearwater.

The treatments will consist of a fine mist of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) sprayed from low-flying helicopters. They will occur between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., when it’s easiest for people to go indoors, although Bti is not harmful to humans, pets or pollinators. The helicopters will fly at low altitudes in patterns, which will be noisy but is necessary for the Bti to better reach standing water.

Bti is a mosquito-specific soil bacterium that kills only mosquito larvae and black flies. Mosquito larvae have a unique gut pH that causes them to release a toxin once they ingest the bacteria. Bti is the same active ingredient found in mosquito dunks and bits sold at local hardware stores to treat standing water for mosquitoes.

To view the treatment area, visit Pinellas.gov/mosquito-control-treatments/ and switch to the aerial tab.

Residents can register to receive notifications of scheduled aerial larvae treatments in their area at Pinellas.gov/Alert-Pinellas.

According to the latest Florida Department of Health (FDOH) report, released Oct. 22, Pinellas County has had 51 confirmed cases of dengue since August. Across the Tampa Bay region, 401 cases have been confirmed in Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties, an increase of 14 percent over the Oct. 15 report.

For more details about aerial larvae treatments, the tire disposal fee waiver and other County efforts to combat dengue, visit Pinellas.gov/dengue.