Lee County Mosquito Control District’s aerial operations play a vital role in protecting public health and mosquito nuisance by reducing mosquito populations across large areas. During the day, helicopters conduct surveillance flights to identify mosquito activity in both larval and adult stages. When larvae are present, helicopters perform larviciding (about 75% of all operations) targeting mosquito larvae in water before they mature into biting adults. Missions are mapped with GPS and flown in grids with approximately 70-foot swaths at low altitudes to ensure precision. Pilots make sharp agricultural turns to transition between grids, much like lifting and turning a lawn mower at the end of a row. At sunset, when mosquitoes are most active, aerial adulticiding occurs. Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, including DC-3s and King Airs, fly at low altitude to apply treatments directly into the air column where mosquitoes are active. This combination of daytime larviciding and nighttime adulticiding, along with ground support from trucks, backpacks, and drones, ensures comprehensive mosquito control across Lee County.
