Mosquito control is key to Florida's economic success
In 1821, when the United States officially took control of Florida, Virginia Congressman John Randolph declared it “a land of swamps, of quagmires, of frogs and alligators and mosquitoes! A man, sir, would not immigrate into Florida — and no, not from Hell itself.”
However, people did immigrate to the Sunshine State, and they continue to do so today. Mosquitoes hampered their quality of life during those first 100 years, not only as a nuisance but also as a threat of disease and death. Early residents experienced epidemics of yellow fever, dengue fever and malaria in Florida, and many lost their lives to these deadly diseases. In the early 1920s, a dengue fever epidemic began in Miami and swept through the entire state, infecting more than 200,000 people when the state’s population was just over one million.
In response, the Florida Legislature created the means for communities to create mosquito control districts through local referendum approvals during the 1920s. The forerunner of what is now the Collier Mosquito Control District (CMCD) was created in 1950. At that time, a single fogger truck served the six-square-mile community of Naples to control our area’s 50-plus tropical mosquito species and their diseases.
Today, mosquito control in Florida consists of 57 unique programs – some are county managed and some are managed by elected commissioners as Independent Special Taxing Districts such as CMCD. These districts have created an environment where commerce, a high quality of life, and tourism can flourish. With Florida property values at an all-time high and the state now a year-round tourist destination with an attractive business environment, mosquito control is an important part of that success.
CMCD’s five elected commissioners – positions that are nonpartisan and at-large – are tasked with conducting vigorous oversight that includes setting the annual millage rate, establishing policy, and closely examining and approving the operating budget. Essentially, your CMCD commissioners strive to be good stewards of your tax dollars while protecting public health and our fragile environment.
Mosquito control operations have continually progressed thanks in part to a wide array of new technologies that follow best practices in the industry, many of which were established here in Collier County by the CMCD professionals.
Today, Congressman Randolph would not be surprised that his observation of Florida’s ubiquitous swamps, frogs, alligators, and mosquitoes still holds true. But what might surprise him today is the statewide efforts of mosquito control districts to battle an infinite enemy: the mosquito. We are here every day, staying in the background, doing our job, and working hard to protect public health and comfort.
Commissioner Russell Burland, chair, Collier Mosquito Control District
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Mosquito control is key to Florida's economic success
