Mosquito Control

...at your service!

405 NW 39th Avenue
Gainesville, FL 32609
Information - (352) 334-2287
Spraying Schedule - (352) 334-2285
Fax - (352) 334-3110

About the program...

Gainesville Mosquito Control provides service to all citizens living within the City limits of Gainesville. Mosquito Control channels all citizen complaints to a Mosquito Control Services Technician who will, within 24 hours of receiving a complaint, seek out the cause of the complaint. This service begins with a site inspection of the citizen's yard, of nearby wooded areas, drainage ditches, swamps and retention ponds and of locally known breeding sites. The inspection also may include using either a portable yard sprayer or a truck sprayer to eliminate any adult mosquito problems.

Mosquito Control is regulated by Federal, State and local laws. These laws determine exactly when and how Gainesville controls its mosquito population. Gainesville Mosquito Control is under the auspices of the City of Gainesville's Public Works Department (Operations Division). The program is primarily funded by a percentage of the stormwater management utility (SMU) fee. Citizens pay this fee monthly as part of their utility bill.

Gainesville Mosquito Control uses an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) philosophy when controlling the mosquito population in Gainesville. IPM combines a variety of mechanical (eliminating the water that the mosquitoes need to breed), biological (using mosquitofish and bacteria to control mosquito larvae populations) and chemical (using Adulticides to control adult mosquito populations) control techniques to provide a more effective approach for the control of mosquitoes. Mosquito Control inspects over 500 breeding sites each month using IPM techniques.

Why mosquitoes need water...

All mosquitoes must have water to develop. Most species prefer slow-moving or stagnant water in which to lay their eggs. One tablespoon of water will breed over 200 mosquitoes! During warm weather mosquitoes can complete their life cycle in 3-4 days. Only the female mosquito bites - she needs a blood meal to fertilize her eggs. The itching of a mosquito bite is caused by a small amount of saliva that the female injects to prevent the blood from clotting.

Eggs turn into mosquito larvae or "wigglers" that can grow quickly. The larvae turn into pupae or "tumblers" which in turn hatch into an adult mosquito. These life cycle stages easily can be seen in the water. The adult mosquito hatches soon after becoming a pupae (the male mosquitoes usually hatch first, but the females are never far behind).

Fighting back...

The most effective means of reducing mosquitoes around the home is to eliminate their breeding habitats. Nine out of ten complaints received by Mosquito Control are made by citizens who are unknowingly raising their own mosquitoes! You, too, may be raising your own!

What you can do:

• empty, remove or cover any receptacle that would hold water - particularly old bottles, tin cans, junk and tires
• repair leaky pipes and outside faucets
• screen rain barrels and openings to water tanks
• cover or turn small boats upside down and keep all water pumped from the bilge
• change water in wading pools, bird baths, pet dishes and vases holding flowers or cuttings twice a week
• clean clogged roof gutters of all debris and drain flat roofs & all tarps
• fill holes in trees with sand or mortar, or drain or spray them as needed
• fix or replace screen on doors and windows
• stock ornamental ponds with mosquito larvae eating fish (call Mosquito Control to make fish delivery arrangements)

Mosquito Control recommends...

• yellow bug light
• Bti and Bs (bacillus) products
• repellents which include DEET
• certain barrier type adult sprays
• mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)
• handheld or backpack portable foggers (for use with malathion, pyrethrins, resemethrins or similar type products)

* recommendations are based on scientific data and research

Mosquito Control does not recommend...

• bug zappers
• ultrasonic (acoustic) repellent devices
• electronic repellent devices
• citrosa plants
• pic coils
• citronella candles or torches
• "miracle" powders, liquids, sprays or other fly-by-night products

* products and items are not recommended based solely on the lack of scientific data and research confirming their effectiveness

Spraying - a last resort...

Mosquito Control determines where and when to adulticide (spray) based on the following guidelines:

• Light traps must contain 25 or more adult mosquitoes.
• Citizen complaints must be received.
• Landing rate counts must exceed 3 mosquitoes landing per minute.

These guidelines are set forth by the Florida Legislature in FS Chapter 10D-54. A light trap is a device that uses dry ice and a light source to attract adult mosquitoes. A fan then draws the mosquitoes down into a collection bag. The collection bags are collected every day and the mosquitoes are counted and identified. A landing rate is the number of mosquitoes that land on an individual within a set amount of time (usually one minute).

The Gainesville city limits are divided into 16 light trap/adulticiding areas. Each area has one permanent and one floating light trap. Traps and landing rate counts are monitored Monday through Thursday. Areas with light trap counts of 25 or more mosquitoes and landing rate counts of 3 per minute or citizen complaints are scheduled to be adulticided.

A computerized ULV (Ultra-Low-Volume) sprayer is used to disperse a chemical that affects only adult mosquitoes. The computer measures the chemical and will shut off automatically if the truck is traveling too fast or too slow or dispersing too much or too little chemical. Spraying is the least effective and most expensive method of mosquito control.

Spraying hours are usually between 4-7 a.m. and 7 p.m.-1 a.m. You may call Mosquito Control at (352) 334-2285 for the spraying schedule. If you have allergies or severe respiratory problems Mosquito Control will make special provisions to turn off sprayers near your home. Call (352) 334-2287 for more information.

Spray Zones

Click the "On/Off" button to toggle between the standard City map and the highlighted zone map. Using your right mouse button, you may zoom in and out on the map for more or less detail. Requires Macromedia Flash Player 5.

The "5 D's" for Protection:

• Dusk and Dawn:
  That is when the mosquitoes are most active. Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are seeking blood, for many species during the dusk and dawn hours.
• Dress:
  Wear clothing that covers skin. This means long sleeves, long pants and socks. Cover as much skin as possible with clothing.
• DEET:
  When danger for exposure to mosquitoes bite exists, you should use a repellents containing DEET. Products with concentrations up to 30% DEET are generally recommended for most situations. It is not recommended to use DEET on children less than 2 months old. Instead, infants should be kept indoors or mosquito netting used over carriers when mosquitoes are present. If additional protection is necessary, apply a permethrin repellent directly to your clothing.
  ATTENTION!
  Always read the manufacturer's directions carefully before you put on a repellent.
• Drainage:
  Check your home and backyard to rid it of shadowed moisturized places in which mosquitoes can lay their eggs. Also elimination of the bird's nests is an additional factor to an avoidance of reproduction of mosquitoes.