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Here's why mosquito complaints are soaring even as the pest's population isn't

Pinellas County said there's been an overwhelming spike in calls for service for mosquitoes in the area.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — If you feel like there have been more mosquitoes out there this summer than usual, it probably has more to do with spending more time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday, Pinellas County Mosquito Control workers took questions about the biting pests and the overwhelming spike in calls for service they’ve been getting lately.

Mosquitoes have been all the buzz in Pinellas County this summer.

Calls for service were up 44 percent in April, 226 percent in May and 219 percent in June.

So, are there really that many more of the biting bugs? The answer is no.

“This year we really didn’t get that rainy season at the very beginning like we typically do, so we didn’t see mosquito populations coming up either. In fact, our mosquitoes this year have been about average and even, in some months, lower than average,” said Alissa Berro with Pinellas Mosquito Control.

Instead, mosquito control workers say it’s likely a matter of perception, with people spending more time around their homes due to COVID-19.

“Maybe you’re working from home. Maybe your kids are staying home over the summer,” Berro said.

A panel of experts took questions from the public for more than half an hour on Facebook.

Mosquitoes, they said, can be a serious health threat. This year, Florida has seen cases of West Nile virus, dengue fever and equine encephalitis. But, they reiterated mosquitos don’t carry coronavirus.

“The world health organization has definitively stated that mosquitoes cannot transmit the virus,” said Rachel Ilic with the Florida Department of Health.

Of the 36 different species of mosquitoes in Florida, 14 will bite humans.

Mosquito control uses a helicopter to spread larvicide and occasionally rolls out its fog trucks if the adult populations get dangerously high.

But, mosquito control says 90 percent of the cases they investigate could be prevented if people would do a better job getting rid of standing water around their own homes.

If a pond is a problem, or a culvert is a culprit, the county also offers free Gambusia fish that eat mosquito larvae.

“They are a product that we use, and we do provide those to citizens if they need them,” Mosquito Control’s Glen-Paul Edson said.

If you must go outside, remember mosquitoes are at their worst around dusk and dawn. Experts recommend wearing long sleeves and using repellent containing DEET, Picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus.

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