The Okaloosa County Mosquito Control Program sprays for mosquitoes county-wide excluding federal and state-owned land.
- Mosquito spray trucks generally begin operating 1 hour before sunset and/or in the 1 hour after sunrise.
“We are spraying Kontrol 4-4, a permethrin-base chemical,” said Brian Shepherd, Supervisor for Okaloosa County Mosquito Control. “Our chemical is meant to kill the adult mosquitoes.”
According to Shepherd, when the spray is coming out of the truck, the truck can not go over 20mph. Once it exceeds 20mph, and alarm will indicate inside the truck and the engine will shut down until the technician lowers their speed.
In addition to spraying, the County has an aggressive larviciding program that includes more than 1,500 sites treated and are checked on a regular basis. Additionally, more than 750 ponds and areas with standing water are treated with gambusia fish which eat mosquito larva and are able to reproduce at a high rate.
“Mosquitoes bite and it’s only the females that bite, not the males,” he said. “The females are looking for blood meals so that they can produce more eggs and reproduce.”
Shepherd added that “the females decide to bite whenever you exhale carbon dioxide.”
“They’re basically looking for a host and you’re it!”
Mosquito spraying schedule for 2022
MONDAYS:
North County
- C4A to Escambia Farms to Hwy 189 East
- Beaver Creek to John Riley Barn Hill to Hwy 189 West
- Crestview: Rattlesnake Bluff to Old Antioch Rd, from Aplin Rd south to Live Oak Church Rd.
South County
- Wynnehaven Beach, Florosa and Valparaiso
- Destin: County Line to Airport Rd
TUESDAYS:
North County
- East side of Hwy 189 to Hwy 2 to Garden City Area
- Baker and Holt South of Highway 90
- Crestview: Aplin Rd north to Hwy 90, Old Antioch Rd to Hwy 90, west of Hwy 85
South County
- Airport Rd to Destin Bridge, Mary Esther/Fort Walton Beach and Bluewater Bay
WEDNESDAYS:
North County:
- Holt north of Hwy 90, Baker West to Galliver Cutoff, South Poverty Creek Rd to Garden City
- Crestview: Old Bethel Rd to Airport Rd, North Airport Rd to Laurel Hill
- South Airport Rd to Hwy 90
South County
- Streets off of Lewis Turner Blvd to Carmel Dr, Rocky Bayou, Fort Walton Beach from Brooks Bridge to Memorial Pkwy
THURSDAYS:
North County
- Auburn Rd to Poverty Creek Rd, Hwy 393 to Campton, Laurel Hill to County Line to Lake Ella
- Baker from Galliver Cutoff to Old River Rd
- Crestview: Staff Rd to Arthur Estates Area
South County
- Shalimar, Ocean City, Mooney Rd area and Niceville
