Defending Lee County: past and present

Using backpacks to hand-spray larvicide insecticide is a regular part of the Lee County Mosquito Control & Hyacinth Districts’ operations. LEE COUNTY MOSQUITO CONTROL & HYACINTH DISTRICTS / COURTESY PHOTO

The parallels aren’t lost on the five helicopter pilots who fly for Lee County Mosquito Control.

Right now, they’re fighting a tiny invader. The pilots are battling mosquitos that are more than an annoyance, the bugs could bring disease. But the runways where they gear up for their missions were once used by airmen protecting Americans at war.

“I sometimes think about them,” said Chief Pilot Mike Vigus. He’s talking about the veterans who served at the Buckingham Army Airfield and Gunnery School. The base, located in eastern Lee County, is now home to general aviation, the Lee County Sheriff ’s Office and the Lee County Mosquito Control & Hyacinth Districts (LCMCD) ( www.lcmcd.com )

“The history here is great,” said Mike Haslam, a 10-year LCMCD pilot.

Luminaries like Judy Garland, Louis Armstrong and Leo Durocher visited Buckingham during USO tour stops. Mina Edison had lunch with soldiers in the mess hall in 1945.

The Buckingham Airfield was built soon after America entered WWII. It had six runways for bombers. The base offered on-land and airborne machine gun training, plus maintenance work. The historical marker on one of the original buildings reads, “home to 16,000 people and consisted of almost 700 buildings.”

Lee County Mosquito Control District Chief Pilot Mike Vigus and other helicopter pilots Nick McCoy, Mike Haslam, Cory Clark and Gerhard Geertsema. RANDY KAMBIC/FLORIDA WEEKLY

While fewer people work at Buckingham Airfield today, their mission is vital to living in Lee County.

The conversion from a military base to a public airfield began in 1958. WWII-era planes began dispensing chemicals to spray for mosquitos in 1961. LCMCD’s current fleet contains six Airbus H125 helicopters and five airplanes.

With the rainy season near, the pilots will start their busy season, spraying throughout the county to keep the mosquito population in check.

LCMCD — the largest operation of its kind in the U.S. — helps protect us from insects that can cause West Nile, Zika, chikungunya, dengue and more including malaria, cases of which were reported in Sarasota last year.

Pilot Nick McCoy brings a Lee County Mosquito Control District helicopter back to its main base after an early morning surveillance mission.

Southwest Florida’s acres of salt marsh and other wetlands are, according to Lee County Mosquito Control’s website, “some of the most prolific mosquito-breeding habitats on earth.”

Fuel and insecticides are available at four off-site heliports, reducing the need for choppers to return to the main base for replenishments. “We operate largely out of such remote locations on some days,” said Vigus.

Residents are encouraged to report mosquito problems on the LCMCD website. Those reports become “surveillance data,” not for potentially treating the home where the call originated, but that area’s water habitat. Most residential areas are treated through trucks, backpacks and hand sprays.

“We answer service calls by sending an inspector to the reported location in search of adult mosquitoes,” said LCMCD Manager Ed Foley. “The inspector will conduct inspections throughout the area and record the number and type of mosquitoes present. When we review this data, we determine how widespread the mosquito problem is and determine the best method of control. In the busy season, you’ll see patterns of reported service requests which help us concentrate inspections and more efficiently control the mosquitoes.”

The Lee County Mosquito Control District headquarters includes a World War II Historic Gallery showcasing artifacts from when it was the Buckingham Army Air Field and Gunnery School.

Most aerial surveillance sorties check for the salt marsh mosquito, Aedes taeniorhynchus, an aggressive biter that can travel long distances. Over one-tenth (56,000 acres) of Lee County’s land mass is a prolific mosquito-breeding salt marsh, mostly on Sanibel, Captiva, Pine Island and other coastline. One square foot of salt marsh can contain up to 39,000 eggs.

The most suitable type of treatment — all EPA-approved — per area is determined. The chemicals are often rotating adulticides (a type of insecticide) and larvicides (an insecticide that targets the insects’ larva stage). That reduces the possibility of mosquitos building resistance to any one chemical.

Helicopter flights — approximately 550 in 2023 — happen between 7:15 a.m. and 4 p.m. for mosquito surveillance (inspection) and killing larvae. Airplane missions occur from sunset to 2 a.m. at an altitude of 300 feet with Vigus and several part-time pilots using GPS navigation and night vision goggles. Locations and times of spraying are posted online beforehand.

Helicopters typically fly 150 to 200 feet above ground. Spraying is usually done 15 to 25 feet above the trees.

Plans exist for adding another heliport and expanding on their current treatment coverage east of I-75.

The pilots salute those who work behind the scenes. “We rely heavily on ground inspections, and we help facilitate them,” said Vigus. “They work extremely hard as do our maintenance people and many others.”

“It’s like a football team,” concluded Vigus. “Offence, defense, special teams … each plays a big role and complements each other.” ¦

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