COLLIER COUNTY, Fla. — For the first time in 69 years, Collier County Mosquito Control purchased a new helicopter that can fight back against the pesky bugs twice as fast as their old helicopters.
"We're here to protect the public's health and are also here to keep the public a little more comfortable year round when it comes to those mosquitoes," said Robin King, the Director of Communication.
The new Bell 407 GXI helicopter can carry double the material, cover the same amount of area in half the time and is the first one of their machines to fly and spray at night.
The material they spray is called BTI. It's a natural material found in soils they use to target baby mosquitoes, or larvae. If they can target larvae, they say there will be less adult mosquitoes to worry about.
King said, "It's registered to be used in organic farming and it doesn't affect any other organism be a human, animal or plant."
The new helicopter will be up and running within the next month.
