Mosquito control has become a necessary part of human existence in Florida. In coastal communities, such as Collier County, the primary target of Mosquito Control Districts are nuisance salt-marsh mosquitoes. Although the saltmarsh mosquito is not considered a serious vector of human disease, it can have significant impacts on the economics of an affected area and human quality of life. In Collier County, the primary method to control mosquitoes is to apply pesticides aerially to reduce adult mosquito populations. Two pesticides, baytex and dibrom, are the primary chemicals being used. The pesticide applications typically occur before sunrise, when salt-marsh mosquitoes are most active.

Unfortunately, with the current application technology, pesticides used to control mosquitoes can also unintentionally harm other forms of life (Figure 1). Species such as crustaceans, which are physiologically similar to mosquitoes, are at the greatest risk. For this reason, we used Fiddler Crabs (Figure 2) to study the environmental impacts of mosquito control pesticides. The staff of the Rookery Bay National Research Reserve, in conjunction with the Collier Mosquito Control District, has been studying the environmental impacts of mosquito control pesticides for ten years. The goal of this research is not only to identify problems but also to develop solutions that may reduce unnecessary environmental impacts while maintaining effective mosquito control.