Anastasia Mosquito Control searches St. Johns County marshes for mosquito breeding grounds

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — Mike Smith and Joe D’Amato with Anastasia Mosquito Control took Action News Jax reporter Deanna Bettineschi out on their airboat into the thick marshes of St. Johns County.

They were looking for mosquito breeding grounds.

The two sprayed a solution into the water to keep the mosquito population at bay.

“It's very environmentally friendly except to the mosquito larvae itself, it’s designed for them. Fish it does not bother,” said Smith.

Smith said they have to be out here once a week, because it only takes about a week for an egg to turn into a mosquito.

“They have to ingest it in order for it to be effective,” said Smith.

Smith said it only works if they ingest it when they’re  in their early larvae stage. He said there’s only two types of salt water marsh mosquitoes in the area we went through, and they bite.

But there’s a silver lining, they aren’t vectors of Zika.

Trending on ActionNewsJax.com:

• 17-year-old injured in crash on I-295 dies
• Severely neglected dog gets new life and new look
• Jacksonville man arrested for attempted kidnapping in St. Augustine
• Creepy clown sightings spread to Georgia; 'not cute or funny,' police say
• Video shows student brawl on private school bus in Duval County

Cox Media Group