How Do We Control Mosquitoes?

Mosquitoes and the diseases they carry can cause significant risks to you, your family, your pets, livestock, and wild animals. In the United States, we see this risk with diseases such as West Nile, Dengue, and Zika. Mosquito management is part of our community’s eff­orts to improve public and environmental health.

Clay County Mosquito Control provides residents with a comprehensive integrated pest management program involving county-wide surveillance, vector disease testing, breeding habitat identification and remediation, larviciding, adulticiding, as well as public education. The goal of our approach is to understand and suppress the mosquito population to prohibit negative economic or health risks to the public while minimizing any negative impact on the environment. Services are available to all County residents and is currently provided by Mosquito Control Services of Florida, LLC.

What is the Risk to Bees from Mosquito Control Products?

Mosquito control products are eff­ective in reducing our exposure to diseases carried and transmitted by mosquitoes. However, there is expressed concern these products will cause harm to beneficial insects like bees that are important for pollinating plants.

Although bees may be sensitive to some mosquito control products, their risk can be effectively managed, as treatments are designed to target mosquitoes that fly at night. Most bees, including honeybees, are inactive and protected in their nests when treatments for mosquitoes occur.

There is vast scientific evidence that the benefits of mosquito control outweigh the risks of harm to bees when public health professionals properly treat with highly regulated products to control disease-carrying mosquitoes.