Brevard County expanding drone use to keep mosquitos from spreading disease
Drones being used to combat mosquitoes
Central Florida counties are investing in new technology to stop the spread of deadly diseases. It comes as one such disease, malaria, has been found in the state for the first time in 20 years, raising alarms for health officials and mosquito control districts. Brevard County’s betting on drones to stop the spread of disease this summer.
BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. - Central Florida counties are investing in new technology to stop the spread of deadly diseases. It comes as cases of malaria have been found in the state for the first time in 20 years, raising alarms for health officials and mosquito control districts.
Brevard County is betting on drones to stop the spread of disease this summer. Cutting-edge drone technology goes up high in the sky, on the hunt for the disease-carrying pest.
"Mosquitos are a big nuisance. They’re also a threat to health," said Jonathan Koagel, a certified drone pilot with Brevard County Mosquito Control. "They are a vector for many diseases, so it’s important to control them."
On top of planes, helicopters, and trucks, the county is training its team to operate drones to control the bug.
Brevard County is investing in new technology to stop the spread of deadly diseases.
"I think it’s just going to make Florida a better place to live. If we can keep things under control with more mosquito breeding, it’s going to be a better world," said Craig Funkhouser who flies drones for the company Leading Edge Aerial Technologies and is currently contracted with the county.
The drone is filled with larvicide and sent up 100 feet to release the treatment, so the bugs don’t multiply in standing water and other breeding grounds.
RELATED:
- Malaria cases in Texas and Florida are the first US spread since 2003, CDC says
- Malaria cases in Florida, Texas: Signs, symptoms, and how to prevent it?
"It goes into the water and essentially kills the mosquito larva," Koagel added.
The county’s currently working with contractors like Leading Edge but is also training Brevard County-based staff to operate the technology and will soon ask county commissioners for $237,000 to invest in their own set of drones and accessories.
Funkhouser said the technology is "up and coming, so it’s becoming more common."
With four cases of Malaria already found in Sarasota County for the first time in two decades, it’s crucial for other counties to control the bugs, but crews can’t be everywhere which is why they are asking the public to be on high alert.
They advise you to dump standing water in garden pots around your home and check your kids' outdoor toys for excess water. You should also try and avoid going outside and dawn and dusk and wear bug repellant when you can.
Using drones in hard-to-reach areas like wetlands and wooded forests is a new tool, but everyone has to play a part in making sure malaria and other diseases don’t spread.