Low-flying helicopters to treat for dengue mosquitoes Oct. 28-30

Hillsborough County will fly low helicopters over two areas from Oct. 28 to Oct. 30. The crews will treat neighborhoods for mosquito larvae. The county wants to stop the spread of dengue fever.

The helicopters will fly during daytime hours. They will apply liquid Bti to standing water. Bti is a naturally occurring bacterium. The county says it does not harm people, pets, fish, birds or beneficial insects. It breaks down naturally in the environment.

The treatment areas:

• Central Tampa: Fowler Avenue (north), I-275/I-4 (south), North 50th Street (east), Dale Mabry Highway (west).
• Palm River: Selmon Expressway (north), Alafia River (south), U.S. 301 (east), Hillsborough Bay (west).

People in and near these areas may see a helicopter just above trees and buildings. It will make many straight, parallel passes. It may pass over one property more than once. The county says the noise will be loud. People may also see the liquid spray.

Mosquito traps in many neighborhoods show dengue fever virus activity. Mosquito Management Services works with the Florida Department of Health in Hillsborough County on this effort.

The county asks residents to follow the 3 Ds:

• Dress in light-colored, long-sleeved clothing and closed-toed shoes.
• Defend with a repellent that has DEET, Picaridin, IR3535 or oil of lemon eucalyptus.
• Dump or cover standing water.

A list of current spray missions is at HCFL.gov/MosquitoOperations. Residents can also sign up for alerts about aerial treatments near them.