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<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tEARLY MORNING AND MIDDAY. THERE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. AND AS WE JUST MENTIONED, THIS WEEK\u2019S WEATHER PATTERN IN SHARP CONTRAST FROM LAST WEEK WHEN WE SAW LOTS OF FLOODING AMID THOSE HEAVY DOWNPOURS, BUT WITH HEAVY RAIN COMES THE RISK OF MOSQUITOES IN AREAS WITH SITTING WATER. AS MOSQUITO SEASON COMES OUR WAY. CC COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL IS INCREASING EFFORTS TO BE PROACTIVE. ANGELA ROZIER LOOKS AT WHAT OFFICIALS ARE DOING AND HOW YOU CAN HELP. WELL, IT\u2019S ABOUT THAT TIME OF YEAR WHEN THOSE PESKY MOSQUITOES CAN REALLY BECOME A PAIN. AND OFFICIALS HERE WITH THE SAINT LUCIE COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL DISTRICT, WELL, THEY\u2019RE GETTING READY TO FIGHT THEM. ANY MAN MADE STRUCTURE THAT CAN HOLD WATER OR CONTAINER CAN BREED MOSQUITOES. MOSQUITO CONTROL OFFICIALS IN SAINT LUCIE COUNTY WANT TO FIND WHERE MOSQUITOES ARE BREEDING AND PUT A STOP TO IT. SO SOMETHING LIKE A GAS CAN. SOME OF THESE BOTTLE CAPS OVER HERE, ESPECIALLY DISCARDED TIRES, BECAUSE A LOT OF MOSQUITO SPECIES THAT CAN TRANSMIT HUMAN DISEASES LIVE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO PEOPLE. OFFICIALS PLAN TO CONDUCT AERIAL LARVICIDE TREATMENTS OVER MOSQUITO IMPOUNDMENTS IN THE MANGROVE MARSHES OF NORTH AND SOUTH HUTCHINSON ISLANDS THIS WEEK, AND PUMP WATER FROM THE INDIAN RIVER LAGOON INTO THOSE IMPOUNDMENTS WHERE THEY SAY MOSQUITOES LOVE TO LAY THEIR EGGS. SALTMARSH MOSQUITOES LAY THEIR EGGS ON MOIST SOIL AND FOLLOWING A RAINFALL EVENT OR A HIGH TIDE, THAT WATER FLOODS OVER THEM AND THAT ACTUALLY TRIGGERS THEM TO HATCH. BY KEEPING THAT LAND FLOODED, IT DEPRIVES THEM OF THE HABITAT THAT THEY NEED TO LAY MORE EGGS, AND THUS HELPS SIGNIFICANTLY SUPPRESS THEIR POPULATION. THE IDEA IS TO REDUCE MOSQUITO BREEDING IN SALT MARSH AREAS AHEAD OF THE RAINY SEASON. OFFICIALS ARE ALSO ATTACKING THE PROBLEM FROM THE WATER BY USING WHAT THEY CALL MOSQUITO FISH. BASICALLY, THESE ARE A FRESHWATER AND BRACKISH FISH WITH REALLY HIGH SURVIVABILITY THAT LOVE EATING MOSQUITO LARVAE. BUT OFFICIALS SAY IT\u2019S IMPORTANT THAT RESIDENTS HELP ELIMINATE STANDING WATER AROUND THEIR HOMES AND GET RID OF ITEMS THAT CAN BECOME BREEDING GROUNDS FOR DISEASE CARRYING MOSQUITOES. THIS MOMENT, THE RISK OF LOCAL TRANSMISSION IS VERY, VERY LOW. BUT THERE ARE ALWAYS INSTANCES OF PEOPLE TRAVELING AND GETTING INFECTED WITH THE VIRUS. SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE\u2019RE ON TOP OF OUR GAME TO MINIMIZE THE RISK OF ANY OUTBREAK OCCURRING. NOW, FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT TIRE AMNESTY RECYCLING EVENT, JUST LOG ON TO OUR\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
St. Lucie County Mosquito District crews prepare for start of mosquito season<\/p>\n
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\n\t\t\tUpdated: 6:16 PM EDT Apr 13, 2026\n\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\tEditorial Standards \u24d8<\/a><\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\tAs mosquito season ramps up, St. Lucie County Mosquito Control District crews are stepping up efforts to stop breeding before it gets worse.Daniel Tuzzolino, an entomologist at St. Lucie County Mosquito Control, said they are targeting places where mosquitoes breed, especially standing water in everyday items like gas, cans, bottle caps and discarded tires.”A lot of mosquitoes, species that can transmit human diseases, live in close proximity to people,” Tuzzolino said.They also plan to conduct aerial larvicide treatments, weather permitting, this week over mosquito impoundments in the mangrove marshes on North and South Hutchinson islands. Crews will pump water from the Indian River Lagoon into those impoundments to help stop mosquito eggs from hatching.Your neighborhood: Local coverage from WPBF 25 News”Saltmarsh mosquito actually lay their eggs on moist soil, and, following a rainfall event or a high tide that water floods over them, and that actually triggers them to hatch,” Tuzzolino said. “By keeping that land flooded, that deprives them of the habitat that they need to lay more eggs and thus helps significantly suppress their population.”Officials say the goal is to reduce mosquito breeding in salt marsh areas ahead of the rainy season.Crews are also using what they call “mosquito fish” to help control larvae in the water.”Basically, these are a freshwater and brackish fish with real high survivability that love eating mosquito larvae,” Tuzzolino said. “So, you can introduce them into a permanent body of water \u2014 the smaller generally the better \u2014 and they’ll actually actively pursue and eat mosquito larvae.”Officials are also urging residents to do their part by eliminating standing water around their homes and getting rid of items that can become breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes.While officials said the current risk of local virus transmission is very low, they warn that travel-related cases can still create the potential for outbreaks, making prevention efforts important.St. Lucie County officials said they will host three tire amnesty events to provide residents a way to recycle unused tires at no cost to them, as a way to reduce mosquito breeding.May 23 at the St. Lucie County Baling and Recycling Facility, 6120 Glades Cut-Off Road, Fort Pierce, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.May 30 at the Paula Lewis Library, 2950 SW Rosser Boulevard, Port St. Lucie, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.St. Lucie County’s Mosquito Control and Public Works Compound, 3150 Will Fee Road, Fort Pierce, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.For more information, call 772-462-1692.Stay up-to-date: The latest headlines and weather from WPBF 25\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tFORT PIERCE, Fla. \u2014 \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n As mosquito season ramps up, St. Lucie County Mosquito Control District crews are stepping up efforts to stop breeding before it gets worse.<\/p>\n Daniel Tuzzolino, an entomologist at St. Lucie County Mosquito Control, said they are targeting places where mosquitoes breed, especially standing water in everyday items like gas, cans, bottle caps and discarded tires.<\/p>\n “A lot of mosquitoes, species that can transmit human diseases, live in close proximity to people,” Tuzzolino said.<\/p>\n They also plan to conduct aerial larvicide treatments, weather permitting, this week over mosquito impoundments in the mangrove marshes on North and South Hutchinson islands. Crews will pump water from the Indian River Lagoon into those impoundments to help stop mosquito eggs from hatching.<\/p>\n