Mosquito Control
They bite, they buzz and they can annoy any barbecue. But Polk County's Mosquito Control unit is constantly at work to combat the pesky insects and improve public health.
If you are having problems with mosquitoes and would like to request service in your area, fill out the Mosquito Service Application.
Frequently Asked Questions
The state agency administering the certification is appointed by the governor of each state. In Florida, the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is the lead agency. They require that every employee applying pesticides for public control of mosquitoes be certified or be supervised by a certified applicator.
There are four basic approaches to controlling mosquitoes: prevention, source reduction, larviciding and adulticiding. Preventing mosquitoes from breeding is the most desirable solution. Unfortunately, many human modifications of the environment such as ditches, retention ponds and water management structures create mosquito breeding sites. Prevention requires working with planners to plan, construct, and maintain infrastructure without producing mosquito breeding habitats.
Source reduction is the elimination of water in which mosquitoes lay their eggs and in which the larvae develop. Source reduction is the second most effective method for controlling mosquitoes. Methods of source reduction involve eliminating containers that hold water and filling wet areas with soil.
Larviciding is the use of materials to control immature stages of mosquitoes or prevent development of larvae from becoming adult mosquitoes. Larvicides are applied to waters that contain larvae and or pupae. Larvicides are effective in low concentrations and generally do not impact other organisms in the water or habitat. Every acre that is larvicided to prevent adult mosquitoes from emerging reduces the number of acres that must be treated with spray trucks or aircraft.
Adulticiding is the last effort to control mosquitoes. Applied as directed, adulticide treatments have minimal effects on other insects. Polk County Mosquito Control is diligent in ensuring the proper size droplets and application rates are used. Adulticiding is done at night when adult mosquitoes are most active which is also when most non-target insects like bees, dragonflies and butterflies are not as active.
Polk County Mosquito Control
- Mosquito Control
- Mosquito Borne Disease
- Mosquito Control Policy
Public Health Related Sites
- CDC - Emerging Infectious Diseases
- Communicable Diseases Surveillance and Response
- Florida Department of Health
Pesticide Information Sites
In This Section
Related Links
Public Health Related Websites
- Florida Department of Health
- Florida Mosquito Control Association
- The American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA)
- Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC)