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Hillsborough County crews tackle mosquito population after Nicole blew through

Hillsborough County mosquito control crews sprayed for mosquitos after the county saw heavy rainfall with the recent tropical storm.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Mosquito control crews are cutting the mosquito population in Hillsborough County from the sky.

On Friday afternoon, the county's helicopter was in the Ruskin area spraying larvae.

"It’s called breaking the cycle. If we can keep the population, as bad as it sounds, in the millions, we can keep up with that, but if you let that go and get a couple of cycles, now we’re dealing with billions," Hillsborough County pilot Brian Gentry said.

Gentry flies the helicopter over homes.

Crews respond to complaints from people, and inspectors measure where mosquitos are an issue. That's how they determine where to spray.

They go out most weeks spraying a safe treatment, which attacks the larvae’s digestive system.

"Very safe. It only harms the mosquito," Gentry added.

Scientists ensure the treatment won’t harm people or wildlife.

The treatment is sprayed through a computer system. It controls when and where the treatment is dumped.

"It’s all controlled by the GPS. It updates eight to 10 times a second," Gentry explained.

Crews are out spraying now because of rain from Nicole. Thankfully the cooler weather is helping clean up efforts.

Hillsborough County officials confirmed this year the county saw less rain than last year which is good news. That means they don’t need to fly as often.

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