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Another shift of sprayers will be added to efforts to eliminate the prolific pests.
By JEFFREY S. SOLOCHEK
© St. Petersburg Times, published August 1, 2001
BROOKSVILLE -- Relief is on the way for what officials are calling Hernando County's "worst case ever" mosquito problem.
County commissioners gave their blessing Tuesday to the creation of a temporary early-morning shift of sprayers to attack the insects, which have hatched by the millions since the advent of the summer rainy season.
They also cautioned residents not to depend solely on the county program to combat mosquitoes.
"We need to get out there in force and look for any kind of container on your property," Commissioner Diane Rowden said. "Just a small cup of water can breed, they say, up to 100,000 mosquitoes."
People also should try to avoid going outside when the mosquitoes are at their busiest, between dusk and dawn, Commissioner Betty Whitehouse said. If they must go out then, she said, they should wear long sleeves and pants, and put on bug repellent.
Mosquito control efforts are important, Whitehouse said, but so is good judgment.
To further boost its effort, Mosquito Control manager Guangye Hu sent a letter Tuesday to the state Bureau of Entomology and Pest Control asking for "any and all assistance possible" for Hernando County, which has experienced a tripling in the volume of service calls in recent weeks. Charles Mixson, public works director, doubted the money would be coming but said, "there's no harm in asking."
If the county discovers evidence of mosquitoes carrying encephalitis, which has been a concern in northern Florida, the county might then qualify for state help, Mixson said. But so far, those diseases have not been a problem in this part of the state.
The added spraying will cost the county about $30,000 during the next three months. The public works department will move about $12,000 from other programs into the spraying program, and the commission agreed to take $18,000 from reserves to cover the rest.
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