Collier County expands mosquito control district

The Collier Mosquito Control District is expanding to different areas, and new tools are being used to keep the mosquito population under control as more standing water remains following Hurricane Helene.

Collier County has a lot of buzz about this new mosquito expansion.

“Our referendum actually demonstrated more than 71% approval for expansion of the district into these new areas,” said Patrick Linn, Executive director of the Collier Mosquito Control District.

The Collier Mosquito Control District is treating more areas in Collier County, including Port of the Islands, Ave Maria, Naples Reserve and other areas east and north of Golden Gate Estates.

Linn believes this will improve the safety of mosquito-transferred diseases.

“What we want to do is be in those areas and have a good handle on the disease threat, the mosquitoes that are out there, the habitat, et cetera,” said Linn. “Then, we can work with the community and be out in front of the mosquito problem, which we know we’re going to have.”

This expansion covers over 300 square miles with four new drones.

Two are for inspecting mosquito-prone areas, and two are for treating them.

“They’re great for getting in very tight areas. These are areas that are hard to assess and areas that are also potentially hazardous due to wildlife. So we see a lot of alligators, a lot of snakes. But we need to inspect these areas and check for standing water and mosquitoes,” said Atom Rosales, director of technical development at the CMCD. “So drones are great because they allow us to get in and out very quickly, safely.”

The Collier Mosquito Control District still uses planes and helicopters to treat up to 30,000 acres in just a couple of hours.

The executive director told WINK News the need for expansion is because Collier County is expected to continue growing at a rapid pace.