Subtropical Depression Costs the District Money

Oct 7, 2011

For Info: Coleen Fitzsimmons

(305) 292-7190

Subtropical Depression Costs the District Money

Residents throughout the Lower Keys have been experiencing high numbers of mosquitoes. Florida Keys Mosquito Control has been unable to use the spray trucks or aircraft in mosquito areas due to high winds, blowing between 15-20 mph every day this week, during prime spraying hours of 9am-11am. Deputy Director, Andrea Leal, “We have attempted to spray the area between Boca Chica and Cudjoe Key every day this week with mosquito bite counts up to 40 per minute in some areas.” With a subtropical depression on the way and winds increasing tomorrow, FKMCD is attempting a tentative aerial spray mission for Sunday, Oct. 9 to give residents some relief. Director Doyle “It would have been a waste of taxpayer dollars to truck or aerial adulticide in high winds earlier this week. Our research shows that mosquitoes will come out of the bushes to bite people, but don’t fly out in the open where the spray can hit them in these winds.”

Scheduling spray missions on weekends means employees are paid to be on call for a possible overtime spray mission. Ideal wind conditions are 5 mph and FKMCD will not spray if winds are over 12 mph. Director Doyle, “It costs the District money to keep pilots on call over a holiday weekend but it makes the most sense economically and biologically to strike by air quickly if we get a short break in the winds on Sunday or Monday morning. It’s one of those ‘don’t shoot until you see your target situations’. Otherwise, we’d be spraying dollars into the wind.”

Please call FKMCD at 292-7190 for Questions and Service Requests.

END