Fighting the Bite: Orange County Expands Mosquito Control Efforts

On warm Florida evenings, residents across Orange County enjoy backyard barbecues, evening walks and time outdoors with family and friends. Behind the scenes, Orange County’s Mosquito Control Division works year-round to help make those moments worry-free.

Now, a new Mosquito Control facility is strengthening the County’s ability to protect residents from mosquito nuisance and diseases while improving efficiency and long-term value for taxpayers.

According to Steve Harrison, manager of Orange County’s Mosquito Control Division within the Health Services Department, the move was driven by growth and the need to better serve a rapidly expanding community.

“The need for our new facility was twofold,” he explained. “We had outgrown our previous space due to significant growth in staff, vehicle fleet and operational demands, and Orange County Animal Services also needed room to expand.”

Both divisions had operated from facilities built decades ago when the County’s population was much smaller. By moving Mosquito Control, Animal Services was able to expand into a much larger, state-of-the-art shelter on their existing site.

The new Mosquito Control facility provides expanded administrative space, improved maintenance bays, larger warehouse and storage areas, and a dedicated laboratory for mosquito surveillance and testing. A climate-controlled insectary allows staff to rear mosquitoes year-round, strengthening research and disease monitoring capabilities.

The expanded laboratory significantly boosts the division’s capacity to monitor and respond to mosquito-borne diseases across the county, as its work goes far beyond eliminating nuisance bites. It plays a critical role in protecting public health by monitoring and controlling diseases such as West Nile virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya.

“Our primary mission is protecting public health,” explained Harrison. “We run year-round surveillance, trapping and testing mosquitoes to track trends and identify high-risk areas so we can respond quickly.”

The new facility also improves operational efficiency. Its central location helps reduce travel time for staff responding to service requests or conducting inspections throughout Orange County, lowering fuel consumption, vehicle wear and operational costs while boosting efficiency.

For taxpayers, the investment delivers measurable returns.

“Investing in Mosquito Control yields strong returns through prevention over reaction,” said Harrison. “By proactively managing mosquito populations, we help prevent far costlier disease outbreaks and protect both public health and the local economy.”

Most residents may never see the daily work happening behind the scenes — trapping mosquitoes, inspecting breeding sites, analyzing lab samples and responding to service calls.

But the impact is felt across the community.

“We do this work quietly and effectively so families can enjoy backyards, parks and outdoor events without worry,” said Harrison. “We’re grateful for the opportunity to help protect Orange County’s health and comfort every day.”

To learn more about Orange County’s Mosquito Control Division, prevention tips and available services, visit Orange County Mosquito Control.