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After The Flood, A Mosquito Baby Boom?

Photo via Flickr//John Tann

Local officials are trying to get ahead of a potential boom of mosquitoes in the next week or so.

Let's start off with two facts. One: mosquitoes breed in standing water. Two: right now, there is a lot of standing water. As many neighborhoods continue to drain and try to dry out after last week's floods, county officials are trying to make sure that a bumper crop of mosquitoes isn't on the way. Keith Wilkins, Director of the Escambia County Community and Environment Department says that while there is no increase in insect activity yet, they do expect to see a mini mosquito baby boom in the next week or so, which is why it's all hands on deck for Escambia county's mosquito control team.

Retaining ponds and other standing water are being treated with larvacide and monitoring of mosquito populations is being conducted to see if fogging needs to begin.

Over in Santa Rosa county the fogging for adult mosquitoes has already begun. Joy Tsubooka, the public information officer for Santa Rosa County says the county is also treating the county ditches and retention ponds as well as county maintained retention ponds with larvacide. But there is still a lot of other standing water one week after the storm, and officials say that if there is water by your home that you expect will be there for awhile, it can be treated with mosquito cakes that can be found in most home improvement stores.

Otherwsie, the regular mosquito control advice applies. Make sure you empty any water standing in containers around your home, avoid being outdoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active, dress in clothing that covers your arms and legs  and leaves little skin exposed and use an insect repellant that contains DEET.

Bob Barrett has been a radio broadcaster since the mid 1970s and has worked at stations from northern New York to south Florida and, oddly, has been able to make a living that way. He began work in public radio in 2001. Over the years he has produced nationally syndicated programs such as The Environment Show and The Health Show for Northeast Public Radio's National Productions.