67 Dengue Cases in Pinellas Drive Aerial Spraying
Helicopters will deploy a bacterial mist over Clearwater and St. Petersburg on Thursday to target mosquito larvae.
By Harper Laurent ·
Pinellas County Mosquito Control will use helicopters to spray a bacterial mist over parts of Clearwater and St. Petersburg on Thursday, November 5.
The effort responds to a surge in local infections. A report from the Florida Department of Health released on October 30 recorded 67 confirmed dengue cases in Pinellas County since August. The Tampa Bay region, including Pasco and Hillsborough counties, has reported a total of 456 confirmed cases.
Pinellas County Mosquito Control is working alongside Lee County Mosquito Control for this operation. The team will apply a fine mist of Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, known as Bti. This soil bacterium specifically targets black flies and mosquito larvae. It is the same ingredient found in commercial mosquito dunks and bits available at hardware stores.
Flights are scheduled to begin between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. in the St. Petersburg area for mapping purposes. Actual spraying will occur between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Helicopters will fly at low altitudes in specific patterns to ensure the mist reaches standing water. Officials note that the low altitude makes the flights noisy but improves the effectiveness of the treatment.
The 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. window is chosen for flight safety and to allow residents time to go indoors. However, Bti is not harmful to humans, pets, or pollinators. Residents can register for notifications of future treatments at Pinellas.gov/Alert-Pinellas. Specific treatment areas are listed on the aerial tab of Pinellas.gov/mosquito-control-treatments/.
