Okaloosa County to Begin Ultra-Low-Volume Mosquito Spraying; Residents Urged to Reduce Standing Water

Okaloosa County Mosquito Control Division announced it will soon begin an ultra-low-volume (ULV) spray schedule across county neighborhoods to reduce adult mosquito populations, a division staff member said.

The announcement said the spraying is designed to reduce adult female mosquitoes, which the division described as the portion of the population that bites and can produce more mosquitoes. "Technicians safely travel through your neighborhood with an ultra low volume spray fall that is lethal to the adult female mosquito who is intent on sampling your blood as a meal to produce more mosquitoes," the staff member said.

The agency emphasized the effort is population management, not eradication. The statement said mosquito control operations "are not designed to eradicate the mosquito, which is virtually impossible without collateral environmental damage," and noted mosquitoes provide food for the ecosystem and act as pollinators.

The division named specific mosquito-borne viruses it says the program aims to reduce: West Nile virus, Eastern equine encephalitis, St. Louis encephalitis, dengue and Zika. It advised residents to use EPA-approved repellents, such as DEET, and to reduce standing water around homes, noting that female mosquitoes "only need a teaspoon of water to lay eggs." The announcement also offered public education and surveillance results at the county website.

The county provided a resource for residents who keep hives: it directed residents to learn how to register beehives with the state and to view mosquito surveillance results at myopaloosa.com. The notice did not specify spray dates, neighborhoods on the schedule, the product trade names to be used, or any human or environmental exposure monitoring beyond routine surveillance.

Okaloosa County Mosquito Control did not request a public vote to authorize spraying during this announcement; the message described an operational plan and public-prevention guidance. Residents with concerns about bees, pets or timing were directed to the county website for more information.