Mosquitoes come early to some Southwest Florida areas

Southwest Florida isn’t quite into the rainy season yet, but Charlotte County and other areas are already dealing with an influx of mosquitoes, mostly near waterfront properties.

Charlotte County Mosquito Control blames the recent super moon for the uptick in saltmarsh mosquitoes, especially in Gulf Cove, South Gulf Cove, El Jobean and the Burnt Store corridor.

“This is very early for us. We usually don’t see large hatches, hatch off like this, until much later when we start after the rainy season,” said Scott Schermerhorn, director of Charlotte County Mosquito Control.

Clint Baker has a picture-perfect view outside his Gulf Cove home, but over the last two weeks, living near the water means living near an abundance of mosquitoes.

“In the mornings when we do our exercise, they’ve been overly burdensome,” he said.

Saltmarsh mosquitoes can fly several miles, laying their eggs along salt marshes above the waterlines. The eggs hatch after touching the water.

Schermerhorn said April 7’s super moon caused the tides to rise higher than normal.

“They went past the mangroves and then receded which allowed for the eggs to start hatching.”

To help cut down on the pests around your property, drain any standing water, and when you go outside, wear EPA-approved repellent.

The county has received hundreds of mosquito control requests since the weekend. They’ve been spraying on the ground and in the air.

“Getting spray and getting help from the county would be a tremendous welcome,” Baker said.

As a side note, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there is currently no data to support that mosquitoes can transmit the coronavirus.