A focused, door-to-door effort to eliminate and treat habitats for potentially disease-spreading mosquitoes kicked off in Key Largo on the morning of April 16.
This “sweep” brought trained Florida Keys Mosquito Control District inspectors across various areas of Key Largo in an organized effort to visit residential and commercial properties in search of current and potential mosquito habitats. The sweep coincided with Florida Mosquito Control Awareness Week, which ran through April 20.
Officials with the mosquito control district encouraged residents and property owners to allow a brief inspection to identify and eliminate potential habitats, which can remain hidden and unknowingly produce Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. They’re known to spread serious illnesses such as dengue fever and zika.
Potential habitats include discarded tires, water features, buckets, bromeliads, tarps, lawn debris and any other items that can accumulate water.
“Protecting public health is always the district’s No. 1 priority,” said Andrea Leal, the district’s executive director. “In 2023, there were a record number of locally-acquired dengue cases reported in neighboring Miami-Dade County, so this sweep of Key Largo has never been more vital.”
The Key Largo sweep traditionally lasts several days. If an inspector visits a property while no one is home, a door hanger will be left containing simple instructions for scheduling a more convenient time for the on-site visit.
The district has 36 trained inspectors across Monroe County. As part of the sweep, many were temporarily redeployed in Key Largo.
All of the inspectors will travel in marked vehicles and wear appropriate FKMCD clothing.
