LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — Due to a dry winter followed by a wet summer, it has created a significant mosquito problem in Southwest Florida, prompting increased helicopter spraying efforts that have caught the attention of localS.
The Lee County Mosquito Control District said many neighbors are concerned about the low-flying helicopters operating at night, but the District says there is nothing to worry about.
"At nighttime, we're hitting mosquitoes in the air column that are flying in the air, so we have to be able to fly low enough that we're treating them, in other words, hitting our target," said Jen McBride.
The flights are scheduled at night because that is when mosquitoes are most active, making the timing crucial for effective treatment.
Click here to see Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with Jen McBride:
With the increase in mosquito population, operations have also increased. Mosquito Control typically receives about 4,400 calls in an entire year, but in just one month, they got 3,700 calls.
"The thing to remember is we have to go by mosquito behavior and not human behavior, because we're targeting mosquitoes," McBride said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
