Low-flying helicopters treat Bloomingdale for mosquito larvae through Oct. 23

Hillsborough County helicopters drop a larvicide on standing water to stop dengue fever spread.

Low-flying helicopters will treat Bloomingdale neighborhoods for mosquito larvae through Oct. 23. Hillsborough County started the daytime flights Oct. 19 to stop the spread of dengue fever.

The Bloomingdale treatment area has these boundaries:

North: Bloomingdale Avenue
South: Alafia River/Boyette Road
East: Lithia Pinecrest Road
West: U.S. 41

Crews also treat Palm River, East Tampa, and East Lake this week. Lee County Mosquito Control District and contractors help with the missions.

The helicopters apply liquid Bti to standing water. Bti is a naturally occurring bacterium. It stops mosquitoes from breeding, particularly mosquitoes that carry the dengue virus. The county says the product does not harm people, pets, fish, birds, or beneficial insects. It breaks down naturally in the environment.

Residents may see helicopters just above trees and buildings. The aircraft make many straight, parallel passes. They may pass over one property many times. The noise will be loud.

The county increased air and ground treatments because mosquito traps in many neighborhoods show dengue fever virus activity.

The county asks residents to follow the 3 Ds:

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

Residents can see current spray missions at HCFL.gov/MosquitoOperations.