Mosquitofish being used for mosquito control in Collier County

In Collier County the mosquito population is heavy, especially in Immokalee and Ave Marie. On Wednesday night those areas will be treated by mosquito sprayers to reduce the numbers in those areas.

A different method being used for mosquito control is using mosquitofish, which is nature’s natural mosquito predator.

Mosquitofish has a diet that consists solely of mosquitoes and their larvae.

Rachel Bales is a biologist at the Collier Mosquito Control District, she says these freshwater fish are collected in tanks for breeding, and then released in heavily infested areas.

“One pregnant female can produce 50 to 100 live fry every eight weeks,” Bales said.

Which means that there are many more mosquitoes in the water to help with the mosquito control.

It may not be so easy as just putting the fish in the water and letting them feast. Collier Mosquito Control District says once the rainy and wet season picks up, so will the population of mosquitoes that breed around homes.

And they say to avoid having areas in your yard that can become breeding grounds.

“We’re really encouraging residents to stay aware of that and to dump any containers of water that they may have their property,” said Robin King.

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If you would like more information on how to get mosquitofish for your home or infested area, you can visit the Mosquitofish website here.

For more information about fighting and reporting mosquitoes:

Lee County:

Lee County Mosquito Control District: Service request