&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Florida mosquito district first to use drone to release sterile mosquitoes against invasive pests")
In a significant development, the Lee County Mosquito Control District in Florida has released sterile mosquitoes by drone to fight against invasive mosquitoes. The new method could enable mosquito control teams to cover areas that are difficult to reach while ensuring a more uniform distribution of insects, according to WGCU.
Rachel Morreale, manager of the district's sterile insect technique program, stated that drones can improve the effectiveness of releases by accessing locations that are not easily reachable by road. "The reason why we like the drone and why it's so beneficial is that it helps us get a better distribution of these mosquitoes," she said.
Lee County is deploying a Skydio X10 drone equipped with a specialised release cassette capable of holding up to 35,000 mosquitoes. However, Morreale explained that the district does not dump that full amount in a single spot. Instead, the drone gradually disperses them across a broad area to spread them out.
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Invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito
The initiative is formulated to curb the population of the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito. As part of the programme, officials release laboratory-bred sterile male mosquitoes, which mate with wild female mosquitoes and produce eggs that fail to hatch, helping to reduce future generations. Officials stressed that the mosquitoes being released do not bite, as only males are used in the operation.
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The Skydio X10 drone can travel at speeds of up to 45 mph and remain in flight for around 40 minutes, allowing teams to cover large areas efficiently without relying on road access. The drone deployment complements Lee County’s existing sterile insect technique programme, which involves a closely monitored breeding process. Mosquitoes are raised to adulthood in roughly 10 days before being sterilised using X-ray technology similar to that used in medical facilities.
The district has also developed a mosquito strain native to the Captiva and Fort Myers areas. To monitor their effectiveness, each sterile mosquito is coated with fluorescent powder, enabling researchers to track survival rates and recapture released insects in the wild. "Before we were stuck with whatever we could access by road, so having this drone means that we can actually put the mosquitoes in places where they want to be and get a better, even spread of mosquitoes all around," Morreale explained to WGCU.
