We get a lot of tourists in Florida, but some just aren’t very welcome
People who live in Florida know how great it is. The weather, the cost of living, the food; the list goes on and on. And residents aren’t the only ones who love Florida. The Sunshine State is always high on the list of popular tourist destinations for both citizens and foreign travelers.
In fact, according to a TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice Awards, Florida has three of the top 25 destinations: Miami Beach, Key West, and Orlando. All amazing places in their own right, there is one negative thing they have in common: mosquitos.
Over the summer, Orlando was hit particularly hard by the little buggers, thanks in part to a lot of rain the city got. It was so bad that according to Kelly Deutsch of Orange County Mosquito Control, the agency got about 10-times more calls from residents than usual.
The situation further south wasn’t any better, and it may get worse. One reason for this is Hurricane Irma. With so much flooding that resulted in standing water, this creates an open breeding invitation to new generations of mosquitos.
In addition to just being annoying, mosquitos can, of course, be harmful to our health. This year, the Florida Department of Health announced that Zika had been transmitted locally in Miami-Dade County. For Florida, this marked the 217th case of Zika reported in 2017.
The scariest part of this instance is that the person who tested positive did not have any of the characteristics of the other people who contracted Zika. They did not travel anywhere that Zika was prevalent, nor did they have a partner who had done any traveling. This means that the illness was transmitted through the bite of an infected mosquito.
Zika is bad enough, but a study from earlier this year discovered something even more troubling: Researchers believe that one mosquito can spread several diseases at once.
Don’t panic; it’s time to be proactive
All of this horrible mosquito news may have you hesitant to leave your home, but you can’t let these little insects win. You need to show them who’s boss, and you can do this by figuring out ways to keep them out of your yard.
Citronella candles and bug spray may work for a little while, but they aren’t a lasting or easy solution. A misting system, however, can get mosquitos out of your yard on a more permanent basis. Once installed, it works automatically around the clock to ensure that mosquitos and other biting insects don’t invade your property.
Want to get more information on your own mosquito control system? Contact Platinum Mosquito Protection. We’ll send someone out to your home for a free onsite consultation.