After declaring a win over the mosquito population last month the Mosquito Research and Control Unit is now advising the public to prepare for a potential resurgence in mosquito activity by early October.
The MRCU, in a press release issued 19 Sept., said residents will be seeing intensified mosquito-control operations across Grand Cayman as it responds to the expected increase.
“The predicted increase in mosquito numbers is due to localized flooding of low-lying areas caused by recent high tides, which has created ideal conditions for mosquito breeding,” the MRCU release stated.
Last month the MRCU, citing data from traps, said that mosquitoes numbers, in some cases, were 50 times fewer than they were this time last year.
Their records suggest 2024 has seen the lowest numbers of mosquitoes since 2020.
For the year to date, June had the highest average daily number of mosquitoes in traps, at 10.1, a sharp drop from the 204.6 recorded during the same period last year.
However, with the change in local conditions, such as the recent high tides, this is likely to increase.
“Our Disease Prevention Officers have already detected mosquito larvae in these affected areas, and despite the MRCU’s proactive larviciding efforts, we anticipate a rise in mosquito populations over the coming weeks,” the MRCU release said.
It said while some environmental factors are beyond its control, the MRCU said its team “is taking science-based measures to reduce mosquito numbers as quickly as possible”.
Residents are encouraged to follow MRCU updates on its Facebook and LinkedIn pages, and WhatsApp channel, where additional information and specific details on control operations will be shared.
For further inquiries, please email the MRCU at [email protected].
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