Longboat Key residents itch for more mosquito control

Many Longboaters have found themselves scratching their arms and legs more than usual this summer.

The reason isn’t exactly a head-scratcher: Mosquitoes have been more active than usual as the result of heavy rains, particularly during the months of June and July, which left behind stagnant water that serves as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Emerald Harbor resident Weldon Frost said he’s been bitten more than usual this summer.

“I don’t think I got bit by a mosquito once last year,” said Frost, who also notices an active no-see-um season.

“It’s definitely way worse than last year,” said St. Armands resident Kevin Bales.

Sarasota County Mosquito Management field operations supervisor John Eaton told the Sarasota Observer in July that the normal rate of 30 to 50 mosquito complaints a day has jumped to more than 100 some days this summer.

Manatee County Mosquito Management Director Mark Latham said that June and July brought approximately 27 inches of rain, about 12 inches more than usual, leading to more mosquitoes than usual.

“The last time it was this bad was probably 2004, the year of the hurricanes,” he said. “There was a lot of rain before the hurricanes.”

On Longboat Key, north-end neighborhoods such as the Longbeach Village, are especially prone to mosquitoes because they consist mostly of single-family homes with backyards where water-accumulating containers that generate mosquitoes are often located. The south end, by contrast, consists mostly of condominiums.

Latham said the county used trucks to spray throughout the Village and also sprayed Jewfish Key and Sister Keys via helicopter throughout the summer.

“We respond to complaints,” Latham said. “Any time a citizen calls, we go out there.”

Despite a busy June and July, mosquito activity seems to be dropping in August, in part because some areas that flooded left nowhere for mosquitoes to lay eggs.

Latham said that in the Village, there’s often a problem with domestic mosquitoes, which can breed in just a small amount of water in a flower pot or backyard bucket.

THE FIVE D’s
Dusk and dawn — Avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active during the dusk and dawn hours.

Dress — Wear clothing that covers most of your skin.

DEET — When the potential exists for exposure to mosquitoes, repellents containing DEET are recommended. Picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus and IR3535 are other repellent options.

Drainage — Rid the area around your home of standing water, which is where mosquitoes can lay their eggs.