LC Mosquito Control accomplishes its mission through source reduction, public education, larval and adult mosquito control services.
Currently Mosquito Control conducts surveillance on 913 sites around the county for the presence of larvae and pupae, part of the mosquito life cycle, to determine the potential mosquito infestation. Larviciding to prevent adult mosquitoes from developing is part of the surveillance procedure.

Mosquito Control monitors for Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), West Nile Virus (WNV) and St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) through the use of chicken surveillance flocks. Sentinel flocks, containing six chickens each in three cages, are placed at seven locations throughout the county. Blood samples are taken weekly between the months of May and December. The blood samples are processed and sent to the state laboratory in Tampa for analysis. The results are returned to our office and used to plan public notification and/or control strategies as needed.

In Leon County, there are 49 different species of mosquitoes. The Asian Tiger mosquito is the most common in urban areas. It was imported in used tires that were recycled and shipped to the U.S. from Asia.

Truck spraying as a method of controlling mosquitoes has been around – though vastly revised for public safety – since the 1940s. As far back as the 1920’s larviciding, usually by floating diesel fuel on standing water was a common control practice. Environmentally safe and more effective products are currently in use.

Staff: Leon County Mosquito Control has a staff of three certified full-time technicians, an entomologist who supervises staff and a receptionist who handles service requests. In addition, there is one part-time community education coordinator. During the mosquito season April through September, an additional dozen part-time workers are hired to help with the increased number of service requests and the surveillance of more than 900 areas checked weekly for signs of mosquito activity. The crew also responds to approximately 8,000 requests for services each year from residents.

Budget: Expenditures include chemicals used for larviciding, truck and hand-spraying, purchase, upkeep and testing of sentinel chicken flocks, staff salaries and training. The majority of the $734 thousand budget is through Leon County general funds, with the rest from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Bureau of Entomology and Pest Control.

Leon County Mosquito Control was organized as a separate division of Public Works in 1996. Until then, it was under Leon County Health Department and its primary responsibility was in maintaining drainage ditches where mosquitoes bred.