Keeping Property Mosquito-Free

I'M JENNIFER CRAWFORD AND WE HOPE YOU ARE ENJOYING LABOR DAY. IF YOU'RE OUT HAVING A HOLIDAY CELEBRATION, THERE MAY BE TOO WORRIES REGARDING YOUR OUTDOOR PLANS, RAIN AND MOSQUITOES SOUTHWEST FLORIDA IS IN PEAK MOSQUITO SEASON WITH THE DAILY RAIN SHOWERS, HIGH HEAT AND HUMIDITY. THAT'S WHY FORT MYERS, PEST CONTROL IS ASKING EVERYONE TO DO WHAT IS CALLED A 24 HOUR BACKYARD MOSQUITO CHECK. I'M JOINED IN STUDIO BY THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AT FORT MYERS, PEST CONTROL. IVAN STARKEY. IVAN, WELCOME TO OUR STUDIO TODAY. THANK YOU. NOW, SOUTHWEST FLORIDA HAS AN EXTENDED MOSQUITO SEASON. IT'S AT LEAST 10 MONTH-LONG. IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ALL YEAR LONG AT TIMES. WHY DO WE HAVE SUCH AN EXTENT THAT MOSQUITO SEASON LOW? WE ARE IN A SUBTROPICAL CLIMATE. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT MORE WATER AND ISSUES AND RAINS THAT HAPPEN ON A REGULAR BASIS. >> WE ARE NOW IN THE PEAK OF OUR THIS KETO SEASON. AND AS WE'RE GETTING MORE ON THE AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS, IT RAINS IT. >> STARTING TO ADD UP THE RAIN DEFICIT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE. >> AND WHAT CAN HOMEOWNERS DO TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR BACKYARDS DON'T BECOME THESE BREEDING GROUNDS FOR MANY, MANY POPULATIONS OF MOSQUITOS. SO I WOULD TELL EVERYBODY THAT AT THEIR HOME OR EVEN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX TO GO OUTSIDE THE HOME AFTER A MAJOR RAIN. >> AND GET AROUND THE HOUSE AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON. CHECKING BIRD BASS AND AMBER BASS MAKING SURE ALWAYS HAS FRESH WATER STANDING WATER A POTTED PLANTS, GARBAGE KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE THE LIDS TARPS FROM HURRICANES HAVE BEEN LEFT IN THE PAST THAT HE'S LAYING ON THE GROUND. ALL THAT STUFF SHOULD BE PICKED UP SO NO WATER CAN HOLE ITSELF. REMEMBER, A MOSQUITO CAN BREED AND UP. SO TO BUY SODA BOTTLE CAP. SO AND THEY'RE DOING ONE TO 300, EVERY FEMALE THAT LAYS ACTS. SO THAT'S A LOT OF MOSQUITOES IN YOUR AREA AT ANY GIVEN TIME. >> NOW, HOW OFTEN HOW OFTEN TO THIS CHECK BE DONE? I WOULD PROBABLY DO AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR. >> IT WILL HELP YOU OUT TREMENDOUSLY BEING OUTSIDE. >> WHAT'S THE BIGGEST CONCERN WITH LETTING THESE MOSQUITOES BREED AND EXPLODE IN POPULATION? OBVIOUSLY OTHER THAN GETTING THAT UNCOMFORTABLE THIS BUT THEY CAN CARRY DISEASE. YEAH, EXACTLY. SO SOME PEOPLE WILL REACT DIFFERENT TO ALL KINDS OF BITES, A SPECIAL MOSQUITO BITES BY DENGUE FEVER HAS BEEN IN THE >> PUBLIC EYE. THE LAST 2 WEEKS. WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE IN LEE COUNTY. WE HAVEN'T GOT ANY WRITTEN REPORTS OF THING. THEY FEAR WE HAVE AN AMAZING LEE COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL COMPANY THAT THEY GO OUT AND THEY KEEP US UNDER CONTROL AS HARD AS THAT JOB IS, THEY'RE PROBABLY ONE OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD THAT DOES THAT. >> I WOULD AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. >> COULD YOU GIVE SOME ADVICE TO OUR SEASONAL? >> RESIDENTS AND VISITORS THAT THEY'RE NOT FAMILIAR ABOUT OUR MOSQUITO BREEDING SEASON AND THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW IMPACTFUL THAT CAN BE. >> SO THIS KID IS NORMALLY PRIMARILY ARE VERY ACTIVE IN THE DAWN AND THE DUST TIMES OF THE OF THE OF THE DAY. >> SO WHAT I WOULD PROBABLY TELL YOU THAT OR APPROPRIATE CLOTHING OUTSIDE. >> AND THEN ALSO PROBABLY A MOSQUITO REPELLENT THAT WILL HELP YOU EITHER ALL NATURAL OR A D NOW THAT OF THAT NATURE. >> NOW, IF SOMEONE ALREADY HAS A BIG PROBLEM WITH MOSQUITOES IN THEIR BACKYARD, HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THEM PRODUCTS TO USE? SO WE USE A FEW >> IDEAS ARE IN ONE WERE OUT THERE DOING A FULL INSPECTION OF THE HOME, MAKING SURE WE DON'T HAVE STANDING WATERS AND WE HAVE ISSUES ARE CONCERNED. VERY WET AREAS. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT STILL BE RUNNING. THE SPRINKLER SYSTEM IS THIS TIME OF YEAR, WHICH NOT REALLY NEED TO BE DONE RIGHT NOW. I'M DOING THAT WILL HELP REDUCE THAT. AND THEN WE GO IN WITH A MOSQUITO MACHINE BLOWER THAT WILL GO INTO THE PROPERTY AND SPRAY ALL THE SHRUBS BECAUSE MOSQUITOES, 10, THE LAY UNDERNEATH THE LEAKS. AND THAT'S WHERE THEY WANT TO RESIDE AT NIGHT. AND NOW AND THAT'S A PERFECT SPOT FOR THEM THE EVENING. SO WHEN THEY'RE IN THE DARKER SHADED AREAS, THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE MORE ACTIVE. THAT. >> AND THEY CAN BUY OUR PETS AS WELL. THEY CAN. THEY CAN. >> YOU KNOW, THIS TIME OF YEAR THEY'RE JUST LOOKING FOR MEAL AND BLOOD MEALS AS IS THEIR NUMBER ONE CHOICE. >> WHERE YOU STARTED THIS INITIATIVE, SEPTEMBER 1ST, AND WHAT WAS THE MOTIVE BEHIND IT? >> WE HAVE GOTTEN A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT MOSQUITOES IN THE AREA AND WE HAVE OUR OWN MOSQUITO PROGRAM THAT WE FOR MARS. PASS CONTROL. I ALWAYS SAY COLE, LEE COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL FIRST, THE CHECK TO SEE IF THERE'S A HOT SPOT NEAR AREA AND COME RIGHT BACK OUT. NO CHECK THESE AREAS OUT FOR YOU. BUT A LOT OF OUR CUSTOMERS THERE ON A REGULAR PROGRAM WITH US. WE COME OUT AND WE DO A TREATMENT ON A REGULAR MONTHLY BASIS, ESPECIALLY FOR THE 10 MONTHS OF THE YEAR THAT WERE MOST ACTIVE. >> SO YOU REALLY AUGMENT WHAT LEE COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL DUST, RIGHT? WE TRIED A. >> BE COEXISTING WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO PUT DOWN THE BIG STUFF FOR US TO KEEP YOUR HOME AT A NICE LEVEL. >> ALL RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE TODAY YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M GOOD. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US IN STUDIO. I'VE BEEN STARTING. THANK YOU.