LEE COUNTY, Fla. — Lee County Mosquito Control is facing one of its most challenging mosquito seasons in recent years, with a significant increase in salt marsh mosquitoes particularly affecting coastal areas and barrier islands.

Jenifer McBride with Lee County Mosquito Control said she typically receives around 20 calls a day about mosquito concerns. However, over the weekend, that number jumped to 125 calls, primarily from people on barrier islands and coastal areas.

“We start off with the bang right or a big buzz and it takes a while to get those numbers under control and that usually takes a few weeks,” McBride said.

The calls are specifically about salt marsh mosquitoes, which are breeding in enormous numbers, according to the district.

Watch Lee County Community Correspondent Ella Rhoades explains why it’s a challenging season so far:

“1/10 of our land is salt marsh area, so it breeds a tremendous amount,” McBride said about Lee County.

To illustrate the scale of the problem, McBride demonstrated that salt marsh mosquitoes can lay up to 39,000 eggs in just one square foot of space. These mosquitoes are extremely tiny, with a jar containing 20,000 eggs appearing deceptively small.

The dry winter and minimal rainfall so far this summer have created ideal breeding conditions for salt marsh mosquitoes, which prefer sandy soil. McBride said wind patterns are exacerbating the situation.

“It’s going to come off and huge numbers, huge numbers and then the wind especially the Westerly winds, we’ve been getting blow it right into where people are. So, it’s kind of the perfect mosquito environment right now,” McBride said.

The district’s aerial crews are actively treating adult salt marsh mosquitoes in areas generating the most complaints, including Pine Island, near where Janice Hamilton has noticed the increase.

“It seems like there’s way more mosquitoes this year. We were here all last summer, and I take my dog for a walk almost everyday and I sprayed down. I’ve still been coming home with mosquito bites,” Hamilton said.

There is some good news. Salt marsh mosquitoes don’t carry diseases, so they’re merely a biting nuisance rather than a health threat.

Lee County Mosquito Control District estimates it will take a few weeks to get the mosquito population under control. In the meantime, people are advised to continue using bug spray and wearing long sleeves when outdoors.

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