It seems that no matter where you find yourself within the Tampa area nowadays, you’re usually confronted by a voracious swarm of blood sucking mosquitos. Feeling like you’re being eaten alive as you rush from shelter to shelter is more than just your mind playing tricks on you, this year the feeding frenzy is out in full force to start the summer, and the battle of the bugs has certainly begun. And not by just Sarasota Mosquitoes.
One bay area county, in particular, is having trouble with these rampant swarms of parasites, affecting everything from simple exercise to people’s daily work lives. Sarasota Deputy Shandra Polynice is one of the many affected. When she’s out on the beat, she jokes that she must have sweet blood thanks to the pest’s affinity for eating her up.
Not only does this affect her during her job, but she’s also teaching an outdoor fitness class in her spare time at Celery Fields for the summer. “It’s ridiculous, they bite you through your clothes. I have on spandex, but even though I have on long gear, they’re still stinging through the clothes.”
“They’re big, they’re terrible. Try to stay away from anywhere they are,” Deputy Polynice laughed.
Matt Smith, the director of mosquito control for the county told eight on your Side news station that the best weapon to fight the swarming horde is feedback. Mosquito Control needs the public to provide information on where the problem areas are. Sarasota County Mosquito Control has made it easy for the public to communicate with them. Mosquito Control has its own Facebook page for messages and feedback.
There’s also another way to deal with the insect insanity, a product used by the county appropriately called “Mosquito Bits” The product is inexpensive and organic. The “bits” are small kernel-like pieces that are placed in your plants to keep the critters under control.