Beware the blood suckers, mosquito season is near

With each raindrop, the Tampa Bay area gets more. More water, more pre-storm breezes, and more biting, bloodsucking mosquitoes.

Though the rainy season doesn't traditionally start until mid June, mosquito control squads already have their trucks and helicopters out spraying.

Dilara Alvarez took her daughter to Tampa's Al Lopez Park this week so she could play outside. Her 4-year-old can't play in their backyard because there are too many mosquitoes.

"She complains about it," said Alvarez, 28. "She runs inside and gets her Benadryl."

The bugs attacking Alvarez's daughter have likely been lying in wait for months. Some mosquito breeds are able to lay their eggs in dry areas, said Dennis Moore, director of the Pasco County Mosquito Control District. The eggs can stay dormant for months, and hatch once enough water surrounds them.

"These areas have started flooding, and you have some areas that are starting to have a lot of larvae that are developing," Moore said.

Hernando, Pasco, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties all use similar methods for mosquito control. They target the larvae, which are still in a water-bound stage. This method kills the bug before it becomes a nuisance.

"We can use less chemicals," said Nancy Iannotti, program manager of Pinellas Mosquito Control. "They're easier to get to when they're not flying in the air."

When that doesn't work, the counties use airplanes, helicopters and trucks to spray chemicals on areas with flying mosquitoes.

Mosquito prevention is most effective when started at home. The key aspect, all county directors emphasized, is to dump all sources of standing water. Mosquitoes can't breed without standing water.

"After the rain, take some time to walk around your property," said Donnie Hayes, operation superintendent at Hillsborough County Mosquito and Aquatic Weed Control. "The more standing water they can remove from their home, they more likely they are to reduce their chances of having mosquitoes on their property."

For standing water that can't be dumped — such as birdbaths and ponds — there are still ways to help. Change your birdbath's water every few days to prevent larvae from developing, Hayes said. For ponds, residents can use minnows to eat the larvae.

The increase in mosquitoes raises the chances of a mosquito-borne disease like the West Nile Virus. Each county keeps sentinel chickens scattered throughout their land. They test the chickens weekly to see if they've contracted any diseases. Hernando County started using the chickens this year.

So far this year, only Pasco County has had a chicken test positive. About a month ago, the bird tested positive for eastern equine encephalitis virus. The county sprayed heavily in the area, and a chicken hasn't tested positive since.

No people were reported sick.

Amy Mariani can be reached at (813) 226-3374 or amariani@sptimes.com.