TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The squeamish should look away.
The Lee County Mosquito Control District in southwest Florida posed a question on social media Wednesday: “Ever wonder what 1 million mosquitoes looks like?”
According to LCMCD, the mosquitoes, pictured above, were part of a trapping project that happened last summer on Sanibel Island, about 23 miles southwest of Fort Meyers. There was no word on who had the unenviable task of counting the dead mosquitoes.
Lee County, home to Fort Meyers, is comprised of many acres of salt marsh and other wetlands, according to LCMCD. This offers “some of the most prolific mosquito breeding habitats on earth.”
The agency monitors adult mosquito activity throughout its district each night from May to October. When thresholds are met or mosquito-borne disease becomes a threat, LCMCD will begin “control operations.”
According to the Florida Department of Health, there are more than 80 species of mosquitoes known to occur within the state. Several are able to transmit pathogens that can cause disease in humans, as well as horses and other animals.
Genetically modified mosquitoes have been used in the Florida Keys to help combat persistent insect-borne diseases such as Dengue fever and the Zika virus.
In 2019, Florida’s Hillsborough County offered residents tiny fish that feast on mosquitoes to help fight off the pesky insects. The year prior, one Florida official proposed using bats to combat the mosquito population.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.