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Lake County details state aerial spraying after Hurricane Milton; officials report cost, acreage and efficacy
Summary
Brad Russell told the Lake County Water Authority the state conducted aerial adulticiding after Hurricane Milton, covering roughly 260,000 acres at a reported cost of $665,784.32 and reporting about 89% efficacy in pre/post trapping; Russell also noted one recent human West Nile case who has since been discharged.
At the Lake County Water Authority’s November meeting, Brad Russell, mosquito management program manager with Parks and Water Resources, briefed trustees on mosquito control operations following Hurricane Milton and on a recent state-led aerial spraying effort.
Russell said heavy rainfall after Milton created widespread standing water and breeding habitat for floodwater Aedes species and permanent-water Culex species, the latter associated with West Nile virus. “We did have 1 positive human case this month,” Russell told the board; he said the person was contacted by the Lake County Department of Health on Nov. 6, was discharged from the hospital and "is doing well." He framed the state aerial work as part of reducing the chance of arboviral transmission after the storm.
The state began aerial spraying on Nov. 6, dividing the county into six zones; Russell reported that the state “sprayed a total of 260,072 acres using the insecticide dibron at 0.66 ounces per acre and a cost of $665,784.32.” He said the state-funded operation provided workforce and that the state also did pre- and post-trapping that showed an approximately 89% efficacy.
Trustees asked whether the aerial work was a grant or an emergency response; Russell said the state approached the county because surveillance showed heightened West Nile activity in surrounding counties and because the rainfall created conditions that warranted rapid assistance. Trustees also confirmed local follow-up actions: truck fogging, targeted larvicide at identified breeding sites, and, where appropriate, introduction of mosquito fish (gambusia) for longer-term larval control.
Russell described the eligibility requirements the county provided to the state for the aerial operation: five years of historical mosquito‑trap data, letters of support from the Board of County Commissioners and the Department of Health, maps of proposed spray areas, lists of USDA-certified organic farms, and public-notification plans for commercial beekeepers and outdoor events.
The board did not take a formal vote on the spraying itself; trustees praised the apparent cost savings of state support and asked staff to continue coordinating on surveillance and public notification.
Ending: Trustees asked staff to keep the board updated on any additional human or animal arboviral cases and on follow-up mosquito‑control activities in the areas sprayed.
