As the rainy season kicks off, Lee County residents might notice planes and helicopters flying unusually low over their neighborhoods, but officials say that's actually a good thing.
“The planes are our friends,” said Jenifer McBride with the Lee County Mosquito Control District. “We’re right into mosquito season, and that little bit of rain we got really started us off with a bang.”
The low-flying aircraft are part of the district’s mosquito control efforts, specifically targeting adult mosquitoes at night.
“We have permission from the FAA to fly below the normal 200 feet due to the label of the treatment. Most airline pilots don’t even know we have a special stipulation to fly this low because it’s so specialized. If we flew higher, it be ineffective in treating for mosquitoes," McBride said.
The mosquito control district doesn’t follow a rigid schedule . McBride says they only fly when surveillance data confirms there’s a need.
Residents often call with concerns about the low-flying aircraft, especially those new to the area or vacationing.
McBride said many people use flight tracking apps to identify the aircraft, but she warned that those apps can be misleading.
“The app puts in a generic average atmospheric pressure,” she said. “So, for instance, you might see 70ft, which seems really low for an airplane, and it might look like it to you, but that is actually probably closer to that 300ft. So it can change drastically by a couple hundred feet.”
Currently, the salt marsh mosquito is the most active in Lee County, especially along coastal areas like Sanibel, Pine Island, and Estero. But they don’t stay there. “They can travel up to 20 miles to find a blood meal,” McBride said.
Lee County Mosquito Control is the largest district of its kind in the country, largely because one-tenth of the county is salt marsh. “That's very unique, even in Florida. It keeps us in business,” McBride said.
While residents can’t eliminate mosquitoes entirely, McBride encourages them to help control the population.
“Dump out standing water in your yard, wear EPA-approved repellent, and long sleeves when you can,” she said. "Then, leave everything to us. We've got it."
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