In less than a day, more than twenty-six thousand mosquitoes were captured by a single trap in Hernando County, Florida, where flooding left behind after the storm has drawn much more attention from the pests than usual.
According to a release from Hernando County Mosquito Control, the trap was set up for less than twenty-four hours. Sixteen, to be precise, from three p.m. on September twentieth, until seven in the morning the following day.
The agency says it typically sees less than five hundred of the insects this time of year, in this location, in these types of traps.
But this time around, ten different species of the insect were caught in the trap, including those that only come out during the day, and their nocturnal counterparts, according to the Miami Herald.
“The daily heat we’ve been having should help shorten the lifespan of the mosquitoes that have been terrorizing residents throughout the county,” states the release. “Nightly spray missions are helping knock down the adult populations, but more importantly, our field techs are out daily treating standing water to prevent new adults from hatching off. ”
The aerial sprays conducted by mosquito control crews involve the use of insecticides approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and precautions to protect residents and domestic and wild animals, according to a separate release from Hernando County Mosquito Control.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says only a small amount of the insecticide is sprayed, which doesn’t post a health risk to people or pets. It’s preferred people stay inside and close their windows and doors during spraying, but it is not necessary.
Hernando County Mosquito Control warned residents that some of the species found are capable of transmitting diseases and urged them to cover up as much as possible and wear repellent, especially at night.
