Pinellas County dengue fever: Aerial mosquito spraying begins

Lee County Mosquito Control crews are helping Pinellas County fight the dengue fever outbreak in the Tampa Bay area by spraying for mosquitoes from helicopters.Tampa Bay mosquito controlUntil now, Pinellas County had relied entirely on truck-based spraying. The aerial effort brings the county a new way to cover more ground in less time.READ: Hillsborough County dengue outbreak prompts statewide mosquito-spraying effortLee County has provided as many as three helicopters at times to assist with the response. Officials say the county's experience preparing for mosquito season in areas with extensive wetlands makes its crews well suited to help.Alissa Berro with Pinellas County Mosquito Control said aerial spraying can help crews reach more areas more quickly."We can only get so far with the truck. The more area we can cover in a faster amount of time, the better knockdown that we're going to have for our residents," Berro said, adding that spraying alone will not eliminate the problem."T