Mosquito season is here, and Miami-Dade officials want you to be prepared.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and the county’s solid waste department are helping you get ready.
There are more than 50 different specials of mosquitoes in Miami-Dade County, and county officials said that it takes a collective effort to keep them in check, because they could be carrying diseases.
“Most important is disease prevention,” Cava said at a news conference.
Mosquitoes are in the area all year, but they’re at their worst at this time of year. So, you’ll be starting to see trucks spraying repellant all over the county to help you Fight the Bite.
The county is also setting up traps.
“That system contains more than 300 traps that are set up throughout the county, and they are monitored on a weekly basis,” said Dr. John Paul, of the division of mosquito control.
County officials say that a mosquito bite could infect you with diseases such as the Zika virus and dengue fever.
So, the county rolls out its Fight the Bite campaign every year.
It has simple set to help keep pests out of your yard and off your skin:
- Drain standing water around your home
- Wear long pants, closed-toed shoes and hats
- Put on repellant as soon as you get outside
“If mosquitoes don’t have a place to breed you will not have an infestation,” Cava said.
The head of Miami-Dade’s mosquito control division said the public participation in Fight the Bite has delivered results.
“In 2023, there was 161 locally transmitted dengue cases here in Miami-Dade County. Now, in 2024, that was reduced to 50 locally transmitted dengue cases,” Paul said. “Last year, it was 25. And this year we haven’t gotten any cases yet.”
County officials said that if you think that your property is being infested by mosquitoes, you can schedule an inspection and someone from the county will head out to take a look.
