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Collier Mosquito Control District Recognized for Innovation at Annual Meeting

by Patrick Linn, MS, MSHAPI
Executive Director, Collier Mosquito Control District
n November, staff from the Collier combine biological mosquito control methods with computational
Mosquito Control District attended streamlining. Together, they enhanced mosquitofish distribution
Ithe Florida Mosquito Control and solved technical challenges such as no-shows for pickup
Association’s annual meeting in Orlando. appointments, inconsistencies between digital forms and location
At this conference, mosquito control data and data entry inaccuracies. Their teamwork led to rapid
professionals from around the state have growth of the program, which has given away more than 35,000
the opportunity to share their experiences fish to date.
and learn from each other to benefit the What started as a small initiative now features two 800-gallon
Floridians we all serve. tanks, a van outfitted with a large, live, well tank system to
In addition to the education and deliver fish directly to residents and a robust backend web system
networking components of the conference, each year the to ensure that everyone who wants fish is able to receive them.
FMCA recognizes those who have made a profound impact This infrastructure was especially helpful in the aftermath of
in the mosquito control industry. This year, District employees Hurricane Milton, as the District was able to quickly increase
Rachel Bales and Atom Rosales received the James W. the number of fish available to help residents who were left with
Robinson Memorial award for their work on the District’s standing water around their homes.
mosquitofish program. Bales is a graduate of Florida Gulf This marks the second year in a row that District employees
Coast University with a BS in marine science and works as have received this honor. Last year, Rufus “Butch” May, director
a biologist. Rosales is currently a graduate student at Penn of facilities maintenance, received the James W. Robinson
State University studying spatial data science and serves as the Memorial Award for his commitment to enhancing the
District’s director of technical development. efficiency and safety of mosquito control operations, including
Launched in 2018, the District’s mosquitofish program the modification of District equipment, and managing two
provides free mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) to residents major hurricane recoveries and a large-scale remodel of District
as a biological solution to reduce mosquitoes breeding on their headquarters.
properties. Each fish is about 1-2 inches long and can eat up Mosquitofish are available, by appointment, every Thursday at
to 100 mosquito larvae a day. Mosquitofish are a great tool for District headquarters. For more information about the program,
abandoned swimming pools, rain barrels, livestock troughs, or to request fish of your own, visit our website at www.cmcd.org.
ditches and any other small area of contained water that can’t Anyone who would like to learn more about how we monitor for
be drained. diseases or would like a tour of the lab and other facilities,
This award recognizes Bales and Rosales’ collaboration to can request a tour by emailing us at info@cmcd.org

To learn more about the Florida Mosquito Control Association, visit their website at www.yourfmca.org.
To learn more about the District or to sign up to receive treatment notifications, visit our website at www.cmcd.org.
The Collier Mosquito Control District works to safeguard the health and wellbeing of our residents through the safest and most economical means available.
If you would like more information about how we control mosquitoes, please visit our website at cmcd.org or call us 239-436-1000.

Life in Naples | January 2025 71