The Challengers More than 80 species of mosquitoes inhabit the Sunshine State. Many are merely unwelcome annoyances, leaving us with no greater injury than an itchy welt. Some feed only on nonhuman animals, and a few feed only on plants. However, some species that feed on humans are potential vectors for diseases


such as yellow fever, dengue, or the Zika or West Nile viruses. Some mosquitoes that feed on dogs or horses can spread heartworms or encephalitis, respectively. Florida’s warm, wet environment has hosted mosquitoes for centuries, but


serious measures to control them weren’t undertaken until their role in spreading disease was understood. Thus it was in 1925, for both public comfort and health, that the fi rst of what are now 58 governmental mosquito-control organizations was formed in the state. In the 1960s, helicopters joined the fi ght. In preparing this essay, I visited eight of those organizations that fi ght a common


enemy across more than 5,000 square miles of forests, salt marshes, ponds, farms, golf courses, and neighborhoods. Why helicopters? Because their capabilities— mobility, agility, precision—essentially mirror those of their prey. Not every mosquito-control program fl ies helicopters, and even for those


that do, the aircraft are just one tool among many. But when a single aircraft can accomplish in 40 minutes what might take 10 trucks and crews four days, the value of rotary-winged assets is compelling.


Above: Collier County’s Bell 407 prepares to launch a dawn assault on mosquito larvae near Naples, Florida, home to some 80 championship golf courses.


Right: Mosquitoes can be more than disagreeable visitors to an exposed patch of skin—they are potential vectors for a range of debilitating, and potentially lethal, diseases in humans, dogs, and horses. (Paul Landau photo)


SEPTEMBER 2021 ROTOR 49


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