Battle Against Mosquitoes Takes ‘One of the Greatest Leaps Forward’

Queensland Park in Plymouth is a picture-perfect spot to enjoy a summer morning, but beyond the playground equipment and green space, danger lurks.

For the the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District, or MMCD, that danger is Minnesota’s “unofficial state bird,” the mosquito.

“Most mosquito species, what we have here in Minnesota, are wetland breeders,” said Charlie Guenther, field operations supervisor with MMCD. 

According to Guenther, it’s prime time for the park’s nearby wetlands to be a breeding ground for the blood-sucking insect.

“Peak season happens usually between May through June and July,” said Guenther. “We see a large hatch of certain summer species through June and July.”

Thankfully, mosquito experts continue to deploy their latest tool to control the population: drones. 

“This is probably, a lot of us are of the opinion, that it’s one of the greatest leaps forward in our mosquito control technology in the last 10, 20 years,” said Guenther.

Since 2019, the agency has grown to having about 10 drones that spread eco-friendly granules targeting mosquito larvae.

“It will kill them before they have a chance to emerge as an adult,” said Guenther.

A computer program guides the drone as it flies about 125 to 150 feet above targeted wetlands to spread the granules, which release Bti, a naturally occurring soil bacterium that doesn’t harm people or wildlife and is ideal for stagnant water.

Mosquito control drone used at Plymouth’s Queensland Park.

One Tool in the Toolkit

Mosquito control officials say drones are an effective time saver compared to the traditional boots-on-the-ground method.

“This one gives us nice, uniform even spread, especially now when we get to this time of year, the cattails are getting really tall, so it becomes harder to walk through,” said Guenther.

Drones are also not replacing helicopters, but come in handy when weather conditions are not favorable. They’re also a better option for residential areas.

“We do understand that it’s not always pleasant to have a helicopter thundering right outside your back door,” said Guenther.

Guenther said MMCD has budgeted for more aerial reinforcements, mentioning that one drone unit costs between $15,000 and $20,000.

“We kind of have a tool at our disposal that can pump out a lot of treatment in a short amount of time,” said Guenther about the drones. 

For this latest weapon against mosquitoes, the sky really is the limit. So far this year, MMCD drones have treated about 5,300 acres.

MMCD pilots are also careful flying drones, never using them over homes and avoiding crossing over roads when there’s traffic.

Plymouth