Property Managers Need a Mosquito Action Plan.
With recent updates from local news outlets, including WFLA reporting locally acquired dengue fever cases in Pinellas County and Fox 13 reporting confirmed cases in Hillsborough County, mosquito management is a top operational priority across Tampa Bay. Coupled with the state detection of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE), multi-family property managers must take proactive measures to protect residents and maintain property safety.
What is Dengue Fever?
Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne viral illness spread primarily by the bite of infected Aedes mosquito species. Unlike some mosquito species that bite mostly at dawn or dusk, Aedes mosquitoes are aggressive day biters that thrive in urban and suburban environments.
Key Characteristics & Symptoms
- Symptoms: High fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, nausea, vomiting, and skin rash.*
- Transmission: Dengue is not spread directly from person to person. A mosquito becomes infected after biting a person carrying the virus and then transmits it to others.
Action Plan for Multi-Family Property Managers
County mosquito control teams conduct ground inspections, truck fogging, and aerial spraying in designated zones (such as recent treatments across Palm Harbor, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Safety Harbor, and Oldsmar). However, municipal treatments focus primarily on public rights-of-way. Property managers must address private ground conditions directly.
1. Execute the “Dump and Drain” Protocol
- Patio & Balcony Audits: Remind residents to regularly empty water from plant saucers, pet dishes, buckets, and decorative items.
- Common Area Inspections: Empty standing water from outdoor trash cans, recycling bins, grill covers, pool decks, and playground equipment.
- Drainage & Gutters: Clean out clogged gutters and downspouts to prevent water retention after afternoon rainstorms.
2. Landscape & Water Management
- Irrigation Audits: Adjust sprinkler schedules to eliminate overwatering and pooling on turf, walkways, or plant beds.
- Maintenance of Retention Ponds & Fountains: Ensure decorative ponds and retention areas have active aeration or water circulation.
- Low-Lying Turf Areas: Fill low spots in grass or mulch beds where rainwater collects for more than 24 to 48 hours.
3. Clear Resident Communication
- Timely Notices: Inform residents when county fogging or professional pest management treatments are scheduled.
- Personal Protection Tips: Encourage residents to use EPA-registered insect repellent.
Professional Mosquito Mitigation with WellTech Pest Solutions
While municipal spraying reduces adult populations at scale, multi-family communities require targeted, perimeter-level protection to disrupt the mosquito breeding cycle.
WellTech Pest Solutions delivers comprehensive mosquito management programs engineered specifically for multi-family real estate.
Our current program F-A-M-S features a mosquito solution available for multi-family properties.
F-A-M-S features a mosquito solution available for multi-family properties.↗
*This update is for informational purposes only. If you are feeling sick, seek a medical professional.