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Will Florida and Oxitec change the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito populations?
Will Florida and Oxitec change the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito populations?
June 17, 2021
Will Florida and Oxitec change the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito populations?
They did it, in April and May of this year thousands of genetically altered male mosquitoes were released into 6 locations in the Florida Keys. According to Oxitec these male mosquitoes are none biting and will mate with local biting female mosquitoes. The female offspring of these encounters cannot survive and the population of Aedes aegypti mosquito will subsequently be controlled. The goal is to stop the spread of diseases these pesky, hangry little critters transmit to humans.
The sun is currently warming the world up, and all the bugs are out. While Florida is experimenting with genetically altered mosquitoes, this season will not find all of us protected by the benefits of a decreased population. In the meantime, there are things you can do to protect yourself, your family, and your friends.
- Maintain fly screens on windows, doors, vents, and chimneys.
- Remove stagnant water around the house so mosquitoes can’t breed.
- Change pet drinking bowls, bird baths and vase waters at least once a week.
- Use human safe mosquito repellants when outside near water or enjoying a summer evening.
- Get your lawn professionally treated for Mosquitoes.
There are pros and cons to any form of pest control and genetically altered pests may or may not be the answer. Until all the results are in the best that we can all do is to do our research on what best fits into our need to protect our families. Mosquito bites are not a laughing matter, the risk of having a small irritation or contracting a deadly disease are too high even for the optimistic side of us. With that, be diligent in what you do and how you protect yourself. Call us if you are interested in learning more about Platinum Pest Solutions Mosquito Control program.
Have a great summer and may it be mosquito bite free!
