How Disney World controls mosquitoes for World Mosquito Day

Today is World Mosquito Day, which I will explain over the jump. Before I do, I'm letting Rob Plays of Midway to Main Street ask and answer Why Are There No Mosquitoes at Disney World?

Walt Disney World is smack dab in the middle of a swamp in a state that is, more or less, a big swamp itself. So with that in mind, why isn’t Walt Disney World swarming with mosquitoes?
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How? Well they don’t have any particularly special weapon that isn’t used elsewhere in the world. Disney’s arsenal includes insecticides which kill mosquitoes fairly quickly, growth regulators which reduce their lifespan, and maintaining natural predators in the area that eat the bugs as part of their diet. On their own, they’re all methods that many other places employ to deal with the annoying bugs. However the impressive part is the vigilance and precision in which Disney carries out these methods.

It all begins with the Mosquito Surveillance Program which is an element of the Department of Planning and Engineering for the Reedy Creek Improvement District. The Improvement District itself is the governing jurisdiction that covers Walt Disney World and is controlled by Disney.

Disney's own government, the Reedy Creek Improvement District has two videos that explain the history and functioning of the governmental body responsible for controlling mosquitoes, among many other things.*

Follow over the jump for the description and history of World Mosquito Day.



Take it away, National Day Calendar!

August 20th recognizes World Mosquito Day marking the occasion when Sir Ronald Ross discovered that female mosquitoes transmit malaria between humans.

During Ross’s work with the Indian Medical Service, he made his groundbreaking discovery. The malarial parasite was found in the gastrointestinal tract of a female mosquito. The discovery allowed scientist to better understand the role of mosquitoes in the disease. It also provided a starting point for prevention.

In 1902[,] Ross became the first British person to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine.

There are over three thousand species of mosquitoes in the world today. Of those, only about three cause serious diseases.

Some of the most prevalent diseases are:

• malaria
• dengue fever
• West Nile
• yellow fever
• Zika virus
• encephalitis

HOW TO OBSERVE #WorldMosquitoDay
Since the advent of World Mosquito Day, scientists and health agencies have pursued the prevention of mosquito-borne diseases. The most recommended approaches are:

• Use insect repellent with DEET. Other active ingredients that repel mosquitoes include:
• Picaridin
• IR3535
• Oil of lemon eucalyptus
• Para-menthane-dio
• 2-undecanone
• Wear long sleeves and pants.
• Keep windows and doors closed. Use screens and air conditioning when available. Sleep under mosquito netting.

Take precautions. Learn the symptoms of mosquito-borne illnesses. Remove standing water from around your yard and keep lawns trimmed. Explore how researchers discover new approaches to dealing with mosquito issues. Find out what you can do for your community, home, and the environment. Visit the CDC website for more information.

Use #WorldMosquitoDay to share on social media.

WORLD MOSQUITO DAY HISTORY
Soon after his discovery, Sir Ronald Ross declared that August 20th would become known around the globe as World Mosquito Day.

He got his wish. Happy World Mosquito Day!

I'm not through with international days celebrating important insects, as tomorrow is World Honey Bee Day. Stay tuned!

*It's also the first post built around Rob's videos. This is the second and features the video that make me take him seriously as a source of information. Three years later, it still holds up well. I promised to write a third post about Celebration, the community that actually was built instead of the original EPCOT. I'll get around to it; be patient.