With the rain Gainesville has experienced this past week, mosquitoes will begin populating the area — especially if residents don’t follow the recommended procedures.
Mosquitoes usually come out in early April, said Chip Skinner, public works spokesperson for Gainesville Mosquito Control. The increase in rain this month has encouraged mosquito breeding.
As of Tuesday, there have not been any mosquito-related illnesses reported within the city, according to Skinner. However, mosquito-related illnesses have been reported in livestock in surrounding counties, he said.
Residents can limit mosquito breeding habits by emptying water in stored boats, flower pots and saucers, trash cans, discarded tires and wading pools. People must also change the water in bird baths weekly and pet dishes daily.
Mosquitoes prefer slow or stagnant water to lay their eggs. According to cityofgainesville.org, one tablespoon of water can breed more than 200 mosquitoes. In the summer months, it only takes three or four days to complete their life cycle.
One program that helps the Alachua County Health Department warn the general public about where mosquito-related illnesses can be found is the Sentinel Chicken Surveillance Program.
The department sends out six flocks of chickens to areas like Hawthorne, Alachua and Newberry. The chickens’ blood is periodically tested from May to November to determine which counties have mosquito-related diseases.
Anthony Dennis, the environmental health director at the Florida Department of Health in Alachua, said this information is used to warn the general public in that area.
The county is alerted when a chicken tests positive for an illness. The chicken is removed from the flock and replaced with another healthy chicken.
If a chicken is infected, the caretaker brings it home. At the end of the surveillance period, the primary caretaker keeps all of the chickens, Dennis said.
“Chickens are the perfect sentinels because they are not affected by the virus, even when they test positive for a mosquito-related disease,” Dennis said.
Follow Alana Wilson on Twitter @alanawilson0313 and contact her alanawilson0313@ufl.edu.
