In late September, Hurricane Ian wreaked havoc in Florida, causing extensive flooding. According to NBC News , the flood’s standing water caused swarms of mosquitoes. Millions of dollars are being spent by the state and municipal authorities to stop the spread of disease. Subscribe to our daily newsletter to receive exclusive analysis, news, and trends in your inbox. Thank you for registering! In an effort to stop the spread of disease, state and municipal authorities in Florida are spending millions to treat an increase in mosquitoes following Hurricane Ian, according to NBC News .
According to Eric Jackson, the deputy director of the Lee County Mosquito Control Division, “the mosquitoes are out there, and they are biting.” The only thing we are trying to do is kill as many of those flying, adult mosquitoes as we can.
When the hurricane struck Florida in late September, dozens of people perished. Rivers flooded severely in Florida as a result of heavy rain. According to NBC News, a large number of mosquitoes were flying around due to the flooding’s standing water.
The West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis are two diseases that can be carried by such insects. Millions of dollars are being spent by the state and counties on single planes and helicopters that will spray insecticides from the air above flood zones to kill mosquitoes.
When they returned to their office after the hurricane, Polk County Mosquito Control claimed they had received 700 requests for mosquito control, according to FOX13 . According to NBC News, Lee County, another severely affected area, experienced an increase in the number of mosquitoes caught in traps in the week following the storm. In contrast to the almost 34,000 mosquitoes caught in the traps for the entire month of October 2021, about 107,000 were caught in the first 12 days of October.
“Picture a few thousand people charging at you. After hurricanes and significant floods, that is the main worry, according to Daniel Markowski, a technical adviser for the American Mosquito Control Association, who spoke to NBC News. The sheer volume of mosquitoes can make even the most mundane activities intolerable.
