Mosquito larvae are squirming, and it's just a matter of days before they emerge.
A combination of high tides and heavy rains has mosquito districts in Lee and Collier counties preparing to fight the countless blood-suckers that will thrive in Southwest Florida between now and the next dry season.
"We got some really high tides this (past) weekend and that’s what really kicks in the season for us," said Eric Jackson, spokesman for the Lee County Mosquito Control District.
Saltwater mosquitoes hatch in shallow, coastal wetlands and can travel as far as 40 miles to find their blood meal.
Mosquito species found along the coast are known for their aggressive, persistent nature.
Jackson said the district sent four helicopters up Thursday to spray for larvae and eggs along the coast, in areas like Sanibel and western Cape Coral.
Collier is preparing as well.
"We have been down into the marshes that tend to produce these types of mosquitoes and they are at least partially flooded," said Patrick Linn, with Collier Mosquito Control District.
The rainy season started earlier this week, and that means freshwater species will hatch soon.
"With the (recent) rains we’re going to start seeing more mosquitoes pop up inland," Jackson said. "It only takes four or five days in warm, humid weather for the adult mosquitoes to emerge."
Heavy rains started this past week, and several inches, on average, have fallen across the region in just a few days.
Those rains have left standing water on the landscape, enough to trigger the egg-to-adult life cycle of these tiny terrors.
"The warm temperatures, the high humidity, the high tides, the water that comes in all provides a switch for the process to begin," Linn said. "So those larvae will develop through four stages in the water, and if they survive that they turn into a pupa, and if they survive that they become a mosquito a few days later. That’s both the miracle and the curse."
More than 80 species of mosquitoes can be found in the Sunshine State, according to the University of Florida.
Lee has received a few calls about mosquitoes from area residents, but Jackson said the district hopes to ward off excess calls and the biting bugs.
"We want to get out ahead of it and get the larvae before they become adults so we don’t get the calls," Jackson said. "But inevitably there will be mosquitoes that pop up somewhere."
Jackson said residents and visitors can help combat mosquitoes by emptying outdoor containers.
"This is really the time to walk around the house and check to see if they have open containers that can hold water, even a bottle cap is going to grow mosquitoes," Jackson said. "Even if it’s been dry for a long time, there could be mosquito eggs in those containers and once water hits them you have activity within a few days."
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