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Bell 206B-III Helicopter
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Hillsborough County Mosquito Control’s helicopter has multiple
missions. During the rainy months, it is used to access flooded
salt marsh, pasture land and other areas which are inaccessible
by ground vehicle and/or too large to treat by truck. Mosquito control
inspectors sample standing water in these locations to search for
mosquito larvae. Infestations are noted, and once the helicopter
has completed county-wide inspections, it returns to treat problem
areas.
The larvicide used is a dry corncob base which is coated with a
naturally-occuring bacteria. Once the product enters the water,
the bacteria is ingested by the mosquito larvae, which then sicken
and die. The corncob is an inert ingredient which degrades naturally,
and the bacteria is toxic only to mosquito and black fly larvae.
The helicopter is able to treat 50 acres per load and can distribute
up to 20 loads in one day, refueling and reloading from remote sites
with the help of a mobile ground crew.
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| Additionally, the helicopter may be equipped with
an Ultra Low Volume adulticide spray system, which is used to
kill flying adult mosquitoes during hours of darkness. The volume
of pesticide released into the atmosphere is small, (three quarters
of an ounce per acre) and the droplets are calibrated to be
just large enough to kill a mosquito, yet too small to impact
other organisms. In the interest of the environment and in accordance
with state and federal regulations Hillsborough County Mosquito
Control reserves these pesticide treatments for situations where
all other controls have failed and adult mosquito populations
pose a significant nuisance and/or possible health threat. |
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| When not busy inspecting, larviciding or adulticiding, the helicopter
is also a useful tool for monitoring progress on aquatic weed treatment
sites, and sometimes provides aerial herbicide treatments when aquatic
vessels are unable to get into an area that is overgrown with weeds.
Additionally the helicopter is used to assist other units with aerial
surveys of stormwater runoff, traffic operations, and aerial distribution
of raccoon bait for the Oral Rabies Bait Vaccination Program, which
takes place for several weeks every February. |
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