Tampa, FL (WFLA) – Disgusting must look away. Lee County’s Mosquito Control District in southwest Florida asked a question on social media on Wednesday: “Have you ever wondered what 1 million mosquitoes look like?”
According to LCMCD, the mosquitoes pictured above were part of a hunting project that took place on Sanibel Island – located about 23 miles southwest of Fort Myers – last summer. There was no word on who had the unenviable task of counting dead mosquitoes.
Lee County, where Fort Myers is located, consists of many acres of salt marshes and other wetlands, according to LCMCD. It offers “some of the most prolific mosquito habitats on earth”.
The agency monitors the activity of adult mosquitoes throughout the district every night from May to October. If the thresholds are reached or the mosquito-borne disease becomes a threat, the LCMCD will begin “control operations”.
According to Florida Department of Health, of course, there are more than 80 different species of mosquitoes in the state. Some are capable of transmitting pathogens that can cause disease in humans, horses and other animals.
Genetically modified mosquitoes used in Florida Keys to combat resistant insect-borne diseases such as dengue fever and Zika virus.
In 2019, Hillsborough County, Florida offered residents a tiny fish mosquito-eating to help fight off annoying insects. A year earlier, one Florida official it is suggested to use bats to control mosquito populations.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.