Watch CBS News

Aerial Spraying Underway With Mosquito Season Looming

Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Mosquito season appears to be off to an early start as Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control began aerial spraying in parts of South Dade and east of U.S. 1.

"We have a high number of mosquitoes, a large population of mosquitoes in those areas, which we document with mosquito traps," said Miami-Dade County Mosquito Control Operations Manager Chalmers Vasquez.

The aerial spraying is targeting the black salt marsh mosquito, a nuisance mosquito known as an aggressive biter. However, it's not considered a major concern, unlike the Aedes aegypti, which can transmit Zika and other diseases.

"This mosquito breeds in the low areas and the mangrove areas, especially in Everglades National Park and Biscayne National Park," said Vasquez.

But the wind carries the mosquitoes to populated areas.

A plane carrying the pesticide Dibrom, which the county says has been used for decades, took off from Kendall Tuesday evening and sprayed the chemical in Homestead, Florida City, the Redlands and areas east of U.S. 1 from SW 248th Street to the Rickenbacker Causeway.

The county says although the pesticide is meant to kill off the black salt marsh mosquito, it will also kill the Aedes aegypti breed.

"The pesticide is a broad spectrum insecticide. It will kill insects but we are targeting mosquitoes in this case," said Vasquez. "There's no adverse effect against the environment or human beings or animals."

Residents with questions about the aerial spraying, or complaints about mosquitoes, can visit miamidade.gov/mosquito or call the County's Contact Center at 311.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.