CAPE CORAL, Fla. (WINK)—Cape Coral is lifting its burn ban after weeks of fire danger, but the rain that helped ease drought conditions is now raising concerns about mosquitoes.
Fire officials say recent rain helped Cape Coral lift its burn ban. Mosquito control says if standing water sticks around, mosquito season can ramp up fast.
At Jaycee Park, layers of pools stretch across low-lying areas—the exact kind of place Lee County Mosquito Control says they need to watch. Standing water has collected in multiple spots across the park, creating potential breeding grounds.
“I noticed all the standing water everywhere, and that’s definitely got to create some mosquitoes,” Hector Hernandez said.
“It’s probably an area that we monitor because of the redevelopment, some of that standing water out there,” a mosquito control official said.
Despite the drought, mosquito control believes this season will bite hard. Officials predict a busier mosquito season because of the salt marsh mosquito.
The buzzing could get louder quickly, especially since the Weather Authority is tracking tropical moisture coming to Southwest Florida. It only takes five days in the rainy season for mosquitoes to go from egg to adult.
Cape Coral fire officials say the recent rain is one of the reasons the city’s burn ban is getting lifted. For Hernandez, that’s good news, but he believes mosquitoes are a bigger problem.
“I think it’s more the mosquitoes that I’m worried about,” Hernandez said. “The fires can be something scary, but as long as everybody’s safe about it, they can prevent it. The mosquitoes, there’s no way of getting out of that.”
Mosquito control says a bottle cap provides enough space for hundreds of mosquitoes to be born.