Ed Brandt is in the second year of a four-year term as a Collier County Mosquito District commissioner. “If someone has a problem in their backyard and they’re getting devoured by mosquitoes, they can actually call the District and put in a request and they’re very responsive to mosquito control.”
Author/Photographer
Ed Brandt is in the second year of a four-year term as a Collier County Mosquito District commissioner. “If someone has a problem in their backyard and they’re getting devoured by mosquitoes, they can actually call the District and put in a request and they’re very responsive to mosquito control.”
Even longtime Marco Island residents have complained about the “mosquito problem” this summer, as the mosquito population seems to be back at 1970s levels on the island and in neighboring communities. The Coastal Breeze News decided to go to the source to find out just how the Collier County Mosquito Control District (the District) deals with the county’s mosquito population.
The District is an independent special taxing district in the state of Florida, created in 1950. Back then, they were responsible for six square miles. Today, they control 401 square miles. They are an independent special district with a board of five commissioners who are elected to four-year terms. On May 28 Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB 509 into law, expanding the District’s boundaries by more than 300 square miles starting October 1.
As a commissioner, Ed Brandt doesn’t deal with the day-to-day treatment of mosquitoes.
“My primary role as a commissioner,” Brandt said, “is basically policy and budgeting. We approve the policies, personnel policies. We approve the policies for hiring and firing. We approve budgets, expenditures to make sure that the funds are being used in a responsible way for the taxpayer. We hold the executive director accountable, make sure he has the right staff to answer questions like that. Our decision-making is primarily policy and budgeting.”
Probably the most burning question for most Marco Islanders revolves around how the District decides when it’s time to spray on Marco Island.
“They look at the breeding,” said Brandt, who is in the second year of his term, “they look at the wind, they look at many variables that go into making that decision. They have different testing areas where they see the larvae, what’s being bred into the area that helps make that decision.”
“Collier Mosquito Control District makes treatment decisions based on the number of mosquitoes in a given area,” said Keira Lucas, Deputy Executive Director for the District. “In order to justify a treatment, mosquito numbers, determined through our surveillance methods, must reach a specific threshold value. When high numbers of mosquitoes are found, a treatment is scheduled within the next 24 hours.”
One may also wonder if there are areas that do not get sprayed.
“All privately owned land in Marco Island is included in Collier Mosquito Control District’s boundaries and is treated when the mosquito levels require attention,” Lucas said. “However, some areas in and around Marco Island include, or are within close proximity to public lands held in conservation, and treatment decisions must be made in cooperation with the land management agency.”
The District employs a multi-faceted approach to mosquito control.
“Collier Mosquito Control District uses an integrated approach to mosquito management,” Lucas said, “which includes ground and aerial treatments targeting larval and adult mosquitoes. You may see trucks, boats, helicopters, airplanes, drones, and more conducting mosquito control treatments in the area. As part of this integrated approach, we also use mosquitofish and source reduction to reduce mosquito populations when appropriate.”
In the old days of mosquito control, the technician would simply hold out his arm and count how many mosquitoes landed on his arm to determine how bad mosquitoes were in a given area.
“It’s much more advanced than that,” Brandt said with a laugh, “it boils down to comfort and health. There are two things in Florida that allow us to live here: air conditioning and mosquito control. Those are the two things. And connected mosquito control is making sure people remain healthy and their health is not in danger.”
“Mosquito surveillance is a multifaceted approach,” Lucas said. “Collier Mosquito Control District measures mosquito activity through trapping, landing rate counts, and resident reports at www.cmcd.org. Field technicians perform landing rate counts by recording the number of mosquitoes landing on them within a specified time, while various traps, including ‘smart traps’ that provide population updates every 15 minutes, are deployed across the district. These methods collectively offer a robust and real-time assessment of mosquito activity.”
Of course, there are extenuating circumstances that prevent the District from treating a given area.
“When there is an abundance of mosquitoes in an area,” Lucas said, “Collier Mosquito Control District’s mission is to provide treatment for the health and safety of our community. Sometimes, weather does require us to postpone treatment missions and they are rescheduled as soon as it is safe for our team to perform the treatment.”
Lucas encourages residents to do their part and contact the district when they are experiencing a high number of mosquitoes in their area.
“We encourage all residents to report problem mosquitoes at www.cmcd.org. Residents can also request a field technician visit, and a Collier Mosquito Control District field technician will visit the property and work with the resident to resolve and local issues that contribute to the mosquito problem.”
“I know that if someone has a problem in their backyard,” Brandt said, “and they’re getting devoured by mosquitoes, they can actually call the District and put in a request, and they’re very responsive to mosquito control.”
Residents may request a field technician or report problem mosquitoes by calling the District at 239-436-1000.
Of course, homeowners and condominium associations can take steps to help control the mosquito population.
“The best thing a community can do to limit mosquito activity is to eliminate opportunities for them to breed,” Lucas said. “This means dumping out any standing water around the property. For water that can’t be dumped out, residents can request mosquitofish at www.cmcd.org or use a natural product that contains BTI as its active ingredient. Unfortunately, Marco Island’s proximity to public lands and mangrove swamps leads to a significant presence of salt marsh mosquitoes, which are aggressive biters capable of migrating up to 60 miles for a blood meal. These mosquitoes often resist traditional control measures, posing a persistent challenge for homeowners. Residents experiencing high mosquito activity should request a field inspection at www.cmcd.org if high numbers are detected, CMCD will schedule ground or aerial treatments targeted specifically for saltmarsh mosquitoes.
“Residents should also take measures to protect themselves from mosquito bites by wearing an EPA-approved mosquito repellent, such as DEET, IR3535 and picaridin. If a natural repellent is preferred, look for a repellent containing Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus.”
Ed Brandt is in the second year of a four-year term as a Collier County Mosquito District commissioner. “If someone has a problem in their backyard and they’re getting devoured by mosquitoes, they can actually call the District and put in a request and they’re very responsive to mosquito control.”
Author/Photographer
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