Miami may see influx of mosquitoes after heavy rain

All the rain we got last week didn't just ruin homes and disrupt the fuel market — it may also spark a mosquito boom.

Why it matters: Mosquito populations are expected to increase in the coming days because heavy rain brings standing water, a breeding ground for insects that can range from mere annoyances to disease vectors.

• Miami-Dade is home to 48 species of mosquitoes and is under a mosquito-borne illness alert after two local cases of Dengue fever were reported earlier this year.
• Mosquitoes' numbers typically spike when the rainy season begins in May, but last week's multi-day rain storm may spark a population boom – especially in Fort Lauderdale, where entire neighborhoods remained underwater for days.

What they’re saying: William Petrie, director of Miami-Dade Mosquito Control, said in a Facebook Live yesterday that technicians had found several hundred mosquitoes in a county trap in Doral, signaling a boom in their numbers.

• "We will definitely get an emergence this week for sure," Petrie said. "There will be some areas where that rainfall will produce a lot of mosquitoes."
• The county monitors over 320 traps and regularly sends trucks to spray pesticides across Miami.

Be smart: To help reduce breeding, residents should drain standing water from their properties and cover up things like buckets or tires that can fill up with water during storms.

• You can prevent bites by wearing clothes that cover your skin whenever possible and applying EPA-registered mosquito repellent.
• You can also buy the pet-safe larvicide Bti at your local home goods store to use on bromeliad plants or fountains and bird baths.

📫 Have any great mosquito tips that we missed? Email [email protected] to let us know and we'll feature the best answers in a future newsletter.