Residents can help eliminate pests by spreading the word of best practices
Got mosquitoes again? They’re buzzing the family on the front porch and biting the chef at the grill? Believe it or not, there's a good chance those mosquitoes are homegrown, whether in your gutter, a potted plant, or even a tarp that’s collected just a little rainwater.
The rainy season has returned and that means mosquitoes are back. Mosquitoes are a major nuisance and real health threat. To battle the dangerous and annoying insects, Hillsborough County’s Public Works team uses a three-pronged approach to keeping residents safe.
- Killing mosquito larvae before they can fly
- Killing adult mosquitoes
- Public Education to help residents eliminate mosquito breeding areas
Hillsborough’s Mosquito Management Services staff uses a helicopter and a fleet of trucks to target known breeding grounds and eliminate larvae and treat for adults.
But the secret weapon of mosquito management is effective, easy-to-understand public education. Hillsborough’s mosquito management team is always working on public education to help residents learn how they can protect themselves.
Where does the mosquito safety education team go to teach Hillsborough residents about protecting themselves? Literally all over the county.
- At the parks, teaching kids at summer camp about how to protect themselves
- In neighborhoods, working with HOAs to teach residents (request the public education team to visit your neighborhood)
- On the road in their popular public education trailer at mosquitofish giveaways or other public events
- In the schools, talking to late elementary and middle school students about how they can interrupt a mosquito’s life cycle and protect students’ family and neighbors
- At the State Fair (or any number of other fairs and festivals that go on throughout the year where the team can share information)
The most important takeaway for residents, educators say, is to empty out all of the standing water on your property and cover or remove items that collect rainwater.
This simple activity will wipe out most of the mosquito threat on your property before they get big enough to fly and bite.
A great way to keep safe this summer is to spread the word to family, friends, and neighbors about how they can protect themselves from dangerous mosquitoes.