Hillsborough Plans Day and Night Aerial Mosquito Treatments November 4–6

Hillsborough County announced on November 3, 2026, that aerial mosquito treatments are planned across the county from November 4 through November 6 as officials respond to dengue activity in people and mosquito populations. During daylight hours, low-flying helicopters will apply liquid Bti, or Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, to standing water in designated parts of Central Tampa and Palm River. The County describes Bti as a naturally occurring bacterium used to interrupt the mosquito life cycle by targeting larvae; its release says the product does not harm people, pets, fish, birds, or beneficial insects and breaks down naturally in the environment. The daytime Central Tampa treatment area is bounded by Sligh Avenue to the north, Interstate 275 to the south, North 50th Street to the east, and North 22nd Street to the west. In Palm River, the stated boundaries are the Selmon Expressway, Alafia River, U.S. 301, and Hillsborough Bay. Residents may notice helicopters operating just above trees and structures where safe, making repeated parallel passes and producing noticeable noise.

Nighttime operations are scheduled Wednesday through Friday between sunset and midnight. Contractors and Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services plan to use airplanes flying at about 300 feet to apply Dibrom insecticide at 0.66 ounces per acre across roughly 225,000 acres, from Carrollwood to FishHawk Ranch. The County's listed communities include South Tampa, Davis Islands and Harbour Island, downtown Tampa, Seminole Heights, East Tampa, Town 'N Country, Temple Terrace, Brandon, Riverview, Plant City, and other parts of Hillsborough County. Residents are urged to follow the 3 Ds: Dress in light-colored long sleeves and closed-toe shoes, Defend with a CDC-recommended repellent ingredient, and Dump or cover standing water. The County also says Hillsborough Solid Waste customers may dispose of up to 12 tires per year at no cost at five County collection sites because discarded tires can hold breeding water. Treatment locations and timing can change with operational conditions, so residents should use the County's notification and mosquito-operations resources for localized updates. Since the final scheduled treatment date has not yet passed in America/New_York, this event record is Active.