Viruses such as West Nile Virus (WNV), Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), and St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE) are endemic in Florida; meaning the virus is always present. These viruses are maintained through the bird/mosquito cycle. However, it is possible for these viruses to break out of this cycle and infect humans and other animals such as horses, llamas, and alpacas. More commonly, mosquito saliva causes skin irritation, which can cause redness, swelling and itching at the bite site.

No, only female mosquitoes bite. Females need blood to make eggs. Male mosquitoes feed on plant sugar. Only some species of mosquito like to bite people.

Spraying for adult mosquito outbreaks occurs on an as-needed basis, and only if mosquito populations meet state guidelines for treatment. As such, we make daily decisions based on the data gathered from our 60 traps set across the county. This allows us to assign spray trucks where the chemical application is most needed and will be most effective.

Insecticides used on mosquitoes can potentially harm other non-target insects such as bees. The company uses ultra-low volume (ULV) spraying with special equipment that is calibrated to create microscopic droplets. These droplets only contain enough chemical to kill mosquito size insects, reducing any negative effects on non-targets. We also typically conduct spraying before dawn or after dusk, which greatly reduces exposure to insects like bees because the bees are inside their hives during this time. However, it is not always appropriate to treat before dawn or after dusk for certain mosquito species. Our mosquito control program keeps an up-to-date list of local beekeepers and works with them to protect their hives. If you are a local beekeeper and would like to be added to this list, please contact Lita Honsby at Lita.honsby@vdci.net or Clay County Public Works at (904) 284-6357 and request to speak with Mosquito Control.

Mosquito spraying is a service provided by the Clay County Board of County Commissioners. Please submit a request through our Clay Connected website. A mosquito control inspector will then come out to your location to assess the best possible treatment method. Please be sure to state whether or not the inspector has permission to conduct surveillance on your property. If adult mosquitoes are found, we will plan to adulticide the area as soon as possible.  

The number of phone calls for service does not determine when or where treatment for adult mosquitoes will be done. We use a combination of data from traps, landing rate counts and phone calls to justify where and when spraying needs to take place.

There are over 3,500 different types of mosquitoes. In Florida, we have 84 different species!

Mosquito control works closely with the Department of Health to monitor the mosquito population and the prevalence of the mosquito-borne diseases. When mosquito populations are high or there is disease-activity within an area, we make sure to treat with both larvicides and adulticides to eliminate mosquitoes.

Mosquito control products are eff­ective in reducing our exposure to diseases carried and transmitted by mosquitoes. However, there is expressed concern that these products will cause harm to beneficial insects like bees, which are essential for pollinating plants.

Although bees may be sensitive to some mosquito control products, their risk can be effectively managed as treatments target mosquitoes that fly at night. Most bees, including honeybees, are inactive and protected in their nests when treatments for mosquitoes occur.

There is extensive scientific evidence that the benefits of mosquito control outweigh the risks of harm to bees when public health professionals properly treat them with highly regulated products to control disease-carrying mosquitoes.

Spraying is conducted on an as-needed basis, based on mosquito population monitoring data. Once mosquito populations are above a set baseline, or an arbovirus has been detected in the mosquito population, or there is a confirmed human or animal has contracted an arbovirus, spraying for an area is scheduled.

Immature mosquitoes live and develop in standing water. The location depends upon the species. There are mosquitoes that breed in salt marshes, swamps, crab holes, ponds, swales, bromeliads, and even small containers like buckets. Keep in mind, it only takes a bottle cap full of water to breed mosquitoes. As adults, mosquitoes prefer nice shady places around vegetation. Chances are, if mosquitoes are bothering you at home, they are likely breeding someplace nearby.