ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. -- Mosquitoes multiply in wet weather and we have had plenty of it in Northeast Florida.
“Anytime there's an opportunity for standing water in the area, mosquitoes will increase," said Jodi Scott with Anastasia Mosquito Control District.
That's why experts at the Anastasia Mosquito Control District in St. Johns County are gearing up to battle the bugs. If Tropical Storm Isaac makes its way through Northeast Florida, our bug problem will get bigger.
"A few days after the rain and it starts to warm back up, mosquitoes start hatching. Give it about seven to ten days and that's when we'll really see the increase,” said Janice Bequette, commission chairwoman with the Anastasia Mosquito Control District.
More of the biting insects mean more illness. The CDC says West Nile virus is spreading farther, faster and earlier in the season than ever before. The disease has already infected eleven people in Duval County this year. In St. Johns County, they've stepped up their efforts in local neighborhoods with aerial sprays and traps to keep the bugs at bay.
“So that we're able to be proactive but if it happens to react swiftly, quickly to protect our residents,” said Bequette.
"Drain any standing water and pet dishes at least once or twice a week. Anything like tires in their yards, garden pots and then cover your skin when you are potentially around mosquitoes,” said Scott.
The bug experts in St. Johns County captured more than 150,000 mosquitoes in one night across the county. Typically, only a couple thousand are captured and killed during the eight hour time frame.
Anastasia Mosquito Control District received around 2,000 calls for service in July. They typically receive that many requests in one year.
