News

Still buzzing: Orange County mosquito spraying Sunday night, other counties soon to follow

ORLANDO, Fla. — Starting Sunday night, the state said it will help Orange County with aerial mosquito treatments.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

They are working to prevent mosquito breeding after a major population increase due to Hurricane Ian.

Orange County Mosquito Control found about 93,000 acres in Orange County with an increased mosquito population.

These areas include Apopka, Bithlo, Christmas, Hunter’s Creek and Wedgefield.

READ: How having flood insurance hurt one Central Florida man impacted by Hurricane Ian

Orange County director of public safety, Danny Banks, said that they’ve seen a huge amount of mosquitoes in just the past few weeks.

“The volumes are immense,” he said. “We’ve seen in the many many thousands of measurement units that increase just in a number of days.”

According to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nuisance mosquitoes are some of the most common types and can become a problem immediately following heavy rains, hurricanes or floods.

Read: The latest buzz: How Central Florida is addressing a mosquito uptick due to hurricane floodwaters

Officials are reminding residents to take precautions against the West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses that come from the insect.

Orange County Commissioner Victoria Siplin said she’s been able to see this issue firsthand throughout communities.

“I think that it’s a health issue when you have those flies and you are sitting in that contaminated debris and you know they are landing on people and the mosquitoes,” she said.

Read: EU regulator recommends clearing Takeda’s dengue vaccine

The Florida Department of Health said that people should be draining where rainwater has collected and covering skin with clothing or repellent.

Other counties are also scheduling aerial and truck spraying throughout the month.

Read updates from each county below:

Brevard County:

Sunday, Oct. 16 at 8 a.m.: Brevard County Mosquito Control will be spraying full or partial zones west of Interstate 95 overnight starting Sunday, Oct. 16. Areas not sprayed Sunday will be treated Monday night, Oct. 17. Schedules are approximate and may be delayed due to weather or other factors.

Orange County:

Read: First round of Winter Park debris pickup should be completed this weekend

Friday, Oct 14. at 4 p.m.: In response to a recent spike in the local mosquito population due to Hurricane Ian flooding, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will be supporting Orange County Mosquito Control with aerial mosquito treatments as early as the evening of Sunday, Oct. 16, 2022.

Osceola County:

No exact updates have been given on when spraying will be happening.

Commissioner Ricky Booth says Osceola County has a control plan.

“A mosquito control plan is already being implemented. We were certainly thinking about this before the storm, but flooding concerns have been top of mind. We will continue our control plan as needed,” said Booth.

Read: Hurricane Ian: Cleanup efforts continue as piles of debris await collection

Flagler County:

Friday, Oct.14.: Flagler County Emergency Management and East Florida Mosquito Control District have been working with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to bring planes for aerial spraying – something that may happen next week.

Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.

Listen

news

weather

traffic

mobile apps

Everything you love about wdbo.com and more! Tap on any of the buttons below to download our app.

amazon alexa

Enable our Skill today to listen live at home on your Alexa Devices!