Mosquito-Fighting Drones Take Flight In Florida To Fight The Bite

Broward County in Florida is now incorporating drones in its efforts to control the mosquito population, according to the South Florida SunSentinel. It’s an important development as the county looks to fend off viruses delivered by the pests that lead to illnesses such as dengue, zika, and yellow fever. It will also alleviate the pressures of an ever-expanding mosquito season brought on by increasing temperatures.

After two years of using the drones to surveil where the county’s employees needed to visit and spray, the drones are now delivering spray, too. The program initially started with some testing in 2023 that the county says led to a significant reduction of mosquitoes in the areas that were addressed by drone. This led to the decision to fully incorporate the technology this year.


Before the change in strategy, crews would need to make their way through mud filled brush with machetes to be able to reach areas where the mosquitoes were located. Now, the drones are loaded up with 15 pounds of spray and cover up to 3 acres in one trip in these same areas.

The use of drones isn’t the only innovation Broward County is cooking up, either. Engineers have also developed a machine that fits on the back of a truck and creates the “perfect droplet size” of larvicide spray, according to the county. The smaller size of particles enables the liquid to go further. This change has enabled the county to cover the same area while cutting its $7 million dollar mosquito mitigation bill in half.

It's interesting to see innovation taking place at the local government level, especially when it’s able to achieve the same results with less money. Hopefully other counties in the state will take notice and incorporate similar approaches to dealing with mosquitoes.