Check outdoor items that can collect water and expect ongoing mosquito management operations following recent rainfall
Recent rainfall across Hillsborough County can create new opportunities for mosquitoes to breed. Residents are encouraged to take a few minutes to walk around their homes and properties, dump standing water, and remove items that can collect rainwater.
Even a small amount of standing water can become a mosquito breeding site. This is especially important during the County's ongoing efforts to reduce mosquito populations that can spread dengue fever.
Check around your home for standing water
- Flowerpot saucers and planters
- Buckets, watering cans, and children's toys
- Birdbaths and outdoor fountains
- Tires
- Trash and recycling containers
- Grills and outdoor equipment
- Tarps and pool covers
- Wheelbarrows
- Gutters and downspouts
- Kiddie pools and other small pools
- Pet bowls and other containers left outdoors
- Low-lying areas around the yard that collect water
Turn over, empty, cover, or remove items that can hold water. Residents should make checking for standing water part of their regular routine, especially after rainfall.
Aedes aegypti can breed in small containers
The Aedes aegypti mosquito, which can spread dengue, is known as a container-breeding mosquito. The insect does not need a large pond or lake to reproduce. Small amounts of water collected in everyday items around homes can provide enough water for the mosquito to lay eggs.
Female Aedes mosquitoes lay their eggs on the inside walls of containers that hold water. When rain or other water covers the eggs, larvae can hatch and develop in the water. That means something as small as a flowerpot saucer, discarded cup, or old tire can become a breeding site.
Know when mosquitoes are most active
Residents should take extra precautions during the times mosquitoes are most active. Aedes aegypti mosquitoes are most likely to bite around dawn and dusk, although mosquitoes can bite at other times of the day.
Residents can help protect themselves by wearing light-colored, long-sleeved clothing and closed-toed shoes. Hillsborough County Mosquito Management also suggests residents use an insect repellent containing a CDC-recommended ingredient, such as DEET or Picaridin.
Expect ongoing Mosquito Management operations
Residents may continue to see mosquito-control helicopters flying over parts of Hillsborough County following periods of rain. Rainfall can create additional standing-water locations where mosquitoes can breed, making resident action an important part of mosquito management. At the same time, Hillsborough County Mosquito Management is continuing aerial and ground treatments based on mosquito surveillance and the presence of mosquito-borne disease-activity.
The County uses aerial treatments to target mosquitoes at different stages of their life cycle. Helicopters can apply larvicide to standing water and mosquito-breeding areas, while adulticide treatments target adult flying mosquitoes. Recent aerial operations have included both daytime larvicide applications and nighttime adult mosquito treatments. Daytime helicopter operations apply liquid BTI to standing water to prevent mosquito larvae from developing into adults, while adulticide treatments are generally conducted after sunset and before sunrise when many mosquito species are most active.
Learn more about the treatments and the products being used by Hillsborough County's Mosquito Management team. Residents can view current aerial treatment operations and sign up for notifications about localized treatments through the County's Mosquito Operations webpage.
The most effective mosquito control starts at home. After every significant rainfall, residents can help by taking a few minutes to dump or cover standing water before mosquitoes have a chance to breed.
Mosquito control services are funded in part by Hillsborough County property tax dollars.