Requesting a City of Jacksonville Mosquito Inspection

Who runs the city mosquito program, and what does it cover?

The City of Jacksonville Mosquito Control Division runs the mosquito program for the city. Its work covers all of Duval County and uses an Integrated Mosquito Management approach, and the service is free to residents.

The division is part of the city government, not a private company, and its role is to reduce the mosquito population across the county. The Integrated Mosquito Management program combines monitoring, source reduction and treatment where it is needed, and the approach depends on the area and the season.

Because the program covers all of Duval County, a resident anywhere in the county has the same access to a request. The city's free service is a public-health function, and it is separate from a private visit to a single yard.

The division's work is aimed at the area. A resident who wants the yard itself treated should look at a private visit, while a resident who wants the wider area looked at should use the city request.

What information makes a request useful?

A useful request gives the exact address, the date the problem began, the time of day, the place the mosquitoes or the water were seen, and whether the problem covers one lot or several. The more precise the description, the easier it is for the inspector to find the cause.

The address comes first. A request that gives a street without a number, or a cross-street without a block, can send the inspector to the wrong place. The exact spot where the water or the mosquitoes were seen is more useful than the general area.

The timing of the problem matters too. A problem seen at dusk, after a storm, or in the same week each year tells the division something about the source. Write it down in one line when you notice it.

Finally, say whether you have already cleared your own yard. The inspector will look at the lot and the wider area, and knowing what has been removed helps the inspector look for the rest.

• The exact address, with the nearest cross-street.
• The date the problem began and the time of day it is worst.
• The place the water or the mosquitoes were seen.
• Whether one lot or several are affected.
• What has already been cleared on your own property.

How should a resident request by phone or online?

Have the notes ready and make the request by phone or through the city's online form. Keep any reference or confirmation that is given, and write down the date and the name of the person you spoke to if you call.

A phone request is quick if the notes are ready. Give the address, describe what you saw, say what you have already done, and ask what the next step is. Write down the date, the time and any reference number before you hang up.

An online request uses the same information in a form. Fill in every field that is asked, attach a photograph if the form allows one, and keep a copy of the submission. A photograph of standing water with a scale object in the frame is especially useful.

Neither route is a guarantee of a particular response time, and the division sets its own priorities. A request is still the right first step, and the reference is the thing to keep if the problem continues.

What happens after the request is made?

The division schedules an inspection, which looks at the site and the wider area for breeding sources. The resident can help by showing the site and by reporting any change, and should call again with the reference if the problem continues after a reasonable period.

The inspector looks for water that holds mosquitoes and for the sites that produce them. The inspection may cover the resident's yard, the neighboring lots and any public drain or ditch nearby, and the inspector records what is found.

A resident who can point out the water, the shaded area or the drain is helping the inspection. A resident who cannot be present should say so in the request and provide the best description possible.

If the problem continues, call back with the reference, the dates of the new observations and the locations. Repeated and specific reports are the most useful to the division, and they show whether a problem is recurring or was dealt with.

• Note the reference or confirmation.
• Be available to show the site if you can.
• Report any change in the problem with dates.
• Call again with the reference if nothing happens.

When is a private yard visit the better choice?

A private visit suits a homeowner who wants the yard itself treated on a schedule, with the shade, the shrubs and the containers worked through. The city program covers the wider area, and a private visit works on the lot, so the two answer different needs.

A homeowner who has cleared the yard and still sees biting adults in the shade may want a private visit to treat the resting areas. The visit works with the homeowner's own clearing and gives a record of what was treated and when.

A private visit does not replace a city request when the source is outside the lot. If standing water is on public land or in a drain near several homes, the city is the right route, and the private visit can help the homeowner's own lot in the meantime.

The two can run together. A city request covers the area, and a private visit covers the homeowner's share. A homeowner should not wait for one to finish before deciding on the other.