• All adulticides and larvicides can be found under the Approved Pesticide List.
• Non-chemical larvicides account for most treatments done regularly.
  • Examples of non-chemical larvicides:
    • Natural predators like mosquitofish.
    • Bacterial applications.
    • Mineral oils.
• Adulticides are always a last resort, and only used for adult mosquitoes.
  • Adulticides are applied at a ULV application rate. This is in accordance with EPA guidelines.
• What else can be used for mosquito populations?
  • Physical interventions such as: removing standing water, cleaning up debris, and removing or replacing plants or landscaping that can attract mosquitoes.
  • To learn more about IPM strategies to help manage pests using a "toolbox" of methods, visit the UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County's IPM Webpage.

If you would like to know what insecticides are used for a specific treatment, the Public Mission Map allows viewers to see treatment details including spray time, area, pesticide used, and more for currently planned treatments and those completed within 7-days prior. 

Mosquitoes and their predators have existed for hundreds of millions of years. They are both part of their ecosystems and co-exist. However, mosquitoes have adapted to survive. 

According to the "Florida Resident's Guide to Mosquito Control" by the University of Florida IFAS Extension: 

"It is never a good idea to rely solely on natural predators to protect yourself from mosquito-borne diseases as the predators are not able to consume every living mosquito. All it takes is one probe from an infected female mosquito to infect a human."

 Basically, predators just can't target enough mosquitoes to manage their populations. 

And while the use of natural predators is an important tool to reduce chemical usage and pest populations, they pose limitations. 

• Adult mosquitoes can travel miles away, making a controlled use of predators difficult and limiting. 
• Predators also must spend energy to catch prey. A mosquito has less nutrient value than a larger insect like a fly, moth, or beetle - so predators may decide not to expend valuable energy on prey that won't restore the energy or calories use to catch it.
• Lastly, rearing certain predators like dragonflies has been shown to be very difficult for large-scale use and would be more costly to taxpayers. 

However, Sarasota County Mosquito Management and many other mosquito control districts do use predators as part of their programs: mosquitofish! These little fish target the earlier stages of the mosquito life cycle: the larvae and pupae. Targeting early stages prevents them from becoming adults that can travel, bite, and potentially transmit disease.

Learn more about mosquitofish here. 

Sarasota County Mosquito Management and Sarasota County Communications use several means of notifying the public. 

How quickly does Mosquito Management notify the public of upcoming treatments?

Notifications are sent the same day, with generally 6 or more hours notice to the tentative start time, though the exact timeframe may vary. This is the quickest notifications or alerts can be sent, as Mosquito Management plans treatments on a day-by-day basis. This is because Mosquito Management uses only the most recent scientific data to determine which areas will be treated that day, if any. 

• This is the most environmentally and fiscally responsible means of conserving treatments for only when they are absolutely necessary.
• The data that is reviewed daily includes mosquito population numbers, species found, and disease monitoring. 

How are alerts sent out, or where can I find public notifications? 

Our homepage at scgov.net/mosquito features updates for scheduled missions. Utilize the Planned Mission Map for additional details. 

Automated Notifications:

Click the image to sign up now!

Social Media:

Facebook | Official Sarasota County Government

Part of a local municipality? Follow your City's social media as they may share treatment updates as well.

Content shared to other pages or comments on any non-Official Sarasota County Government pages are not monitored by County Communications. To send direct questions, follow the above official pages or call 311.

Sarasota County Mosquito Management does not spray on a schedule.

Treatments must be justified by scientific data collected daily. This is in accordance with EPA and FDACS standards, and is part of a well-balanced Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategy. 

Criteria that help to determine adulticide treatments includes: 

• Mosquito species of human health importance found through surveillance.
  • Not all mosquitoes transmit disease. About 10 species seen in Florida are of human health importance.   
• Disease activity through sentinel chickens, PCR testing, or human cases reported by the Department of Health.
• Mosquito populations that surpass thresholds based upon their aggressiveness, disease risk, and habitat. 
  • Some species have higher thresholds due to a low interest in humans, or very low-to-no disease risk. These may still be pestiferous but are not dangerous. 

However, dedicated field technicians work daily throughout all of Sarasota County, working in your area to monitor and prevent mosquitoes as much as possible. 

If you are experiencing a mosquito issue and would like to have an assessment or service request, contact us at 311 or submit your request here. 

Mosquito Management, under Florida Statute 388, is granted the authority to use any means available to reduce the risk of mosquito-transmitted disease.

Although generally these methods rely heavily on non-chemical tactics as part of IPM, occasionally chemical must be used on adult mosquito populations that pose a risk to human health.

As such, exclusions of large areas such as blocks, neighborhoods, or communities are not offered as others in the area could be put at risk of mosquito-transmitted diseases. 

What if I am a beekeeper?

All Beekeepers are expected to register with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) and follow the required compliance agreement for proper beehive protection. 

Beekeepers should also register at AlertSarasotaCounty.com for same-day notifications, to be aware when their area is scheduled for treatment. 

Contact Mosquito Management if you have additional questions or concerns. 

How do treatments affect bees, butterflies, or other insects? 

Mosquito Management operates with consideration for our beneficial insect populations, while managing public health.

• Treatments with adulticides are done after civil twilight, which coincides with most mosquitoes' natural active start times and other insects rest times.
• Applications of ULV adulticides are mere microns big and must land on the insect to take effect. Due to this, the application begins to break down within about 30 minutes. There is no residual by morning, and beneficial insects can resume their normal activities.
• With a focus on larval prevention, the main product used is a bacterial application of BTI, which shows no adverse effects to bees or other non-target insects.
• Technicians are also mindful of properties that have disclosed beehives for daytime activities. 

• Drone applications for mosquitoes are largely focused on using larvicides.

  • These applications will occur during the daytime, applied to flooded woodlots, swamps, marshes, or similar areas.
  • The main product utilized for larval applications by drone is an insect growth regulator (IGR), which stops the mosquito from completing its development into adulthood. This IGR is safe for people, pets, wildlife, and waterways. The second product is bacterium-based and only targets aquatic mosquitoes.
    • Both products have been safe, reliable options for Mosquito Management for years – and the only “change” is the equipment being used to apply them.

To remain at the forefront of innovation, Sarasota County Mosquito Management is always seeking opportunities to improve on practices and utilize new technology.

Drone applications will increase our presence in areas that historically were treated on foot, where brave technicians could encounter wildlife such as alligators, spiders, snakes and more. By instead using drones to treat these areas, staff are safer and these difficult areas will be more easily maintained.

No. The drones do not contain any video capture equipment.

Notifications are being provided through the same channels as our adulticide treatments: through AlertSarasotaCounty.com and on social media.

Although these larvicide applications pose no risk to human health, we understand the curiosity and concern the public may have of the new presence of drones. To offer transparency, we are happy to provide these alerts to properties that will be adjacent to application areas.

Notifications will be issued one day prior to planned applications, as part of regular larval prevention. Unlike adulticides, larval prevention is planned ahead as part of routine population maintenance.