Collier Mosquito Control District is giving county residents two-inch, guppy-like fish to place in flooded yards, swales, and other small areas of standing freshwater left behind by Hurricane Ian to eat mosquito larvae before they grow up and start bothering everyone.
Mosquitofish are native to Southwest Florida and love to gorge themselves on mosquito larvae, which live in standing fresh water. Each fish can eat approximately 100 larvae a day. Residents should put the fish in watery holes, flooded yards, a fountain that is no longer working, or pools that have gone neglected.
鈥淎nywhere there is not already fish and the water is not moving,鈥� said Robin King, spokeswoman for the 鈥淭hese are freshwater fish so don鈥檛 put them in freshwater or other fish will eat them up, and don鈥檛 put them in saltwater because they won鈥檛 survive.鈥�
Once the water recedes or dries up, the mosquitofish won鈥檛 be long for Collier County.
鈥淭here are waterways that are interconnected they could make there way to, but otherwise they will just dry up,鈥� King said. 鈥淭here is no delicate way to say it.鈥�
But the demise of the fish after a job well done is worth it. They may also consume mosquito larvae destined to carry West Nile or Dengue fever, which King said is becoming a problem in Cuba right now.
On Aug. 31, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services confirmed a 2-year-old quarter horse stallion in Collier County positive for West Nile virus. The horse later died.
The Florida Department of Health in Collier County also advised residents there has been an increase in mosquito-borne disease activity in areas of Collier County. A human case of locally-acquired dengue fever has been confirmed and there is a heightened concern additional residents will become ill.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to give a resident a quantity of fish in a container and it is important to get them home and put them where they need to go, 鈥� King said. 鈥淒on鈥檛 plan on running errands before you get home because they fish wont make it. But the fish really are effective in eating up the larvae."
The fish are being handed out mainly to try and keep the overall number of mosquitos down, but can also control those that can transmit heartworm.
King reminds people who will be spending time outside during Southwest Florida鈥檚 recovery and rebuilding from Hurricane Ian to wear mosquito repellent not only to protect against itchy mosquito bites but to reduce the likelihood of contracting a mosquito-borne disease.
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