Q: Are aerial mosquito control treatments harmful to people or pets?

After the USEPA determine an insecticide can be registered for use in the United States, the Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (FDACS) determine which pesticides can be registered and applied in the State of Florida. The primary aerial adulticide material used by Lee County Mosquito Control District is Naled. FDACS states “Naled, sold under the name Dibrom … when applied in accordance with the label, can be used to kill mosquitoes without posing unreasonable risks to human health or the environment. On their website: http://www.flaes.org/pdf/Naled%20Response010803.pdf, FDACS further noted, “The USEPA recently conducted preliminary risk assessments for Naled. These assessments calculated risks under a number of different scenarios, including assumptions of several Naled spraying events over a period of weeks and toddlers ingesting some Naled in soil and grass along with exposure through skin and inhalation exposure. Because of the very small amount of active ingredient released per acre of ground, the USEPA found that for all scenarios considered, exposures were hundreds or even thousands of times below an amount that might pose a health concern. FDACS further stated, “When applied for mosquito control in accordance with the label, Naled is not harmful to animals. However, if you want to reduce your pets’ chance for exposure, keep them inside during spraying.

Posted in: FAQs