South Florida Now Using Mosquito Control Drone to Control Vector-Borne Diseases Tech: Tech Times

Broward County, Florida is now using a drone to spray mosquitoes in difficult areas such as parks and wetlands, revolutionizing pest control efforts.

The drone targets breeding areas of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, known vectors of diseases such as yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses.

TOPSHOT – An Aedes Aegypti mosquito photographed on human skin at the laboratory of the International Center for Medical Training and Research (CIDEIM), January 25, 2016 in Cali, Colombia. CIDEIM scientists are studying the genetics and biology of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, which transmits the Zika, Chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever viruses, to control their reproduction and resistance to insecticides. Zika virus, a mosquito-borne disease that can cause serious birth defects, is expected to spread to all countries in the Americas except Canada and Chile, according to the World Health Organization. AFP PHOTO/LUIS ROBAYO (Photo: Luis ROBAYO/AFP) (Photo: LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)

(Photo: LUIS ROBAYO/AFP via Getty Images)

Drone as a new method of mosquito control in south Florida

Broward County has introduced a new mosquito control method: using a drone to spray hard-to-reach areas like parks and wetlands. The Herald Courier reported that this innovative approach involves a drone equipped with a 15-pound spray payload that can cover up to three acres in a single flight.

Cody Cash of Leading Edge Aerial Technologies, the company that leases the drone to Broward, highlighted the significant increase in efficiency compared to traditional methods that required labor-intensive efforts lasting several days.

Anh Ton, Broward’s director of road and bridge maintenance who oversees mosquito control, expressed relief for workers who previously had to brave the challenging terrain armed with machetes. Drones are now targeting areas where Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, known to transmit yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses, lay eggs.

Read also: US malaria alert: ninth case triggers need for mosquito surveillance

Transition to mosquito control using drones

According to Ton, Broward County initially deployed drones more than two years ago for surveillance purposes to identify areas that needed mosquito spraying. Engineers tested mosquito traps and targeted empty parks using aerial spraying.

Ton noted that they had been thinking about this for a long time. A preliminary study showed a significant reduction after drone operations.

By 2023, the county has expanded its use of drones from surveillance to spraying. Broward County leases a drone capable of spraying for about $3,000 a month.

Drones are possible between ground crews and the invasive use of helicopters and planes, especially in residential areas. This initiative marks a key shift in mosquito management, increasing the precision and effectiveness of disease-carrying mosquito control in South Florida.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called mosquitoes “the world’s deadliest animal” because of the diseases they transmit, causing more than 700,000 deaths worldwide each year.

According to the latest 2024 weekly report from the Florida Department of Health, there have been seven cases of locally acquired dengue fever. One case was reported in Pasco County and the other six were reported in Miami-Dade.

Tona has over 15 customers in Florida and California and serves many others with small-scale herbicide services. He recently assisted in a mission covering part of Tree Tops Park in Davie.

Using drones, they could treat about 30 acres in just four hours, while one person would typically spend two to four days, depending on humidity levels, doing the same task.

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