More than 20 million genetically modified mosquitoes are coming to the Florida Keys this year, in a landmark project by British biotech company Oxitec and Monroe County’s Mosquito Control District. This mosquito control method hasn’t been used in the U.S. before. It’s a pilot program and the first trial began over the past week. The project is aimed at reducing the population of the invasive .
TravelAwaits
May.1.2021
Nearly 150,000 mosquitoes will soon begin to be released in batches in parts of the Florida Keys. Don’t worry if you live in or will be traveling to the Keys the mosquitoes won’t bite.
In fact, releasing the mosquitoes will actually cause the mosquito population to decrease. That’s because these genetically modified non-biting male mosquitoes will mate with the local biting female
Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, but their female offspring won’t survive, explains Oxitec, an advanced biotechnology company that designed the modified male mosquitoes.
“An important part of Florida Keys Mosquito Control District’s mission is to protect residents in the Florida Keys from the disease-transmitting mosquito,
MIAMI — A controversial project to release genetically modified mosquitoes in the Florida Keys to battle the disease-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes started this week. Boxes filled with eggs, water and
After roughly 10 years of debate and permitting, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and Oxitec announced Friday that the release of genetically modified mosquitoes will begin as early as next week.
Project managers anticipate that, during the last week of April and first week of May, release boxes, non-release boxes and netted quality control boxes will be placed in six locations: two on Cudjoe Key, one on Ramrod Key and three on Vaca Key in Marathon, according to Oxitec spokeswoman Meredith Fensom.
Locations were selected based on confirmed presence of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, sufficient space to place a network of mosquito traps around the release sites and sufficient distance from sewage treatment plants, as specified by the Environmental Protection Agency permit, Nathan Rose, head of regulatory affairs for Oxitec, told The Key West Citizen on Friday.