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Pinellas County partners with Lee County for aerial mosquito larvae treatments in St. Pete and Clearwater

Pinellas County Mosquito Control is partnering with Lee County Mosquito Control to conduct aerial larvae treatments in parts of St. Pete and Clearwater to reduce the population of mosquitoes capable of spreading dengue.

The treatments will consist of a fine mist of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) sprayed from low-flying helicopters in designated areas. The treatments 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, 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.

As dengue cases continue to rise, more areas require mosquito control treatment. Traditional truck-based larvae treatments cannot efficiently cover all affected areas. Aerial larvae treatments use a similar approach but can cover much larger areas in less time. Mosquito larvae are young mosquitoes that hatch from eggs and live in standing water before developing into flying adults.

The aerial larvae treatments may begin as soon as this week, but the exact schedule is still being finalized and will be dependent on weather. Residents can register to be notified when treatment is scheduled for their neighborhood at Pinellas.gov/Alert-Pinellas.

For more details about dengue, how the virus spreads, the product being used, FAQs about our upcoming aerial treatments and other operations, residents can visit Pinellas.gov/dengue.

While the expanded treatments will assist in knocking down the mosquitoes responsible for transmitting dengue, halting the cycle still relies on communities taking action to protect themselves and prevent breeding on their property.

  • Dump out any standing water around the property once per week. Look for items like buckets, tires, children’s toys, plant dishes, bromeliads, kiddie pools, etc.
  • Dress in light-colored, long-sleeved clothing with closed-toed shoes when outside both day and night.
  • Defend themselves using an EPA-registered repellent such as DEET, Picaridin, IR3535, or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.

Pinellas County staff will also be going door to door in communities at risk of dengue spread to help residents identify, dump out and treat standing water with the resident’s permission. Crews will wear Pinellas County uniforms with an ID badge. Residents are encouraged to allow these trained crews access to help protect their families and communities.

Additional Mosquito Control Actions

Pinellas County remains under a state of local emergency declared by the Board of County Commissioners in September. This declaration recognizes the serious threat posed to residents and grants the County Administrator authority to quickly approve expenditures related to mosquito control. It also allows for reimbursement if state funding becomes available.

Mosquito Control continues to use both fogging trucks and a larviciding truck daily, weather permitting, to kill both adult and larval mosquitoes. With the current viral activity, truck fogging treatments may start as early as 11 p.m.

In addition to Lee County’s support, the County has contracted additional trucks with Clarke Mosquito Services to assist with overnight treatments. These trucks will have both Pinellas County and Clarke branding and may possess out-of-state license plates.

According to the Florida Department of Health’s (FDOH) latest report dated Oct. 15, Pinellas County has had 37 confirmed cases of dengue since August. The Tampa Bay region has had 351 confirmed cases across Pinellas, Pasco and Hillsborough counties.

If you believe you have dengue, please contact the FDOH in Pinellas County at (727) 824-6932.