HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Summer rains help create the perfect opportunity for mosquitoes to breed throughout the Tampa Bay area. Hillsborough County is offering residents the opportunity to naturally reduce the mosquito population.
Mosquito fish, or Gambusia Holbrooki, are small, native freshwater fish that eat mosquito larvae. You place the fish in backyard ponds, birdbaths, fountains, animal troughs, unused swimming pools and other standing water. They help reduce the adult mosquito population and control the spread of mosquito-borne disease.
On the following Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., Hillsborough County Mosquito Management Services will give away free mosquito fish at the following eight events located in parks across the county:
- May 6 – Mosquito Management Services - 6527 Eureka Springs Road, Tampa
- May 20 – Traffic Management Center: 2310 Regional Water Ln., Tampa
- June 10 – Keith Waller Park, 1318 Sydney Dover Rd., Dover
- June 24 – Northdale Park, 15550 Spring Pine Dr., Tampa
- July 8 – Gadsden Park, 6901 S. MacDill Ave., Tampa
- July 22 – Fishhawk Sports Complex, 16000 Fishhawk Blvd., Lithia
- August 5 – Oscar Cooler Sports Complex, 766 W. Lutz Lake Fern Rd., Lutz
- August 19 – Keystone Rec Center, 17928 Gunn Hwy., Odessa
- September 9 – Southshore Library, 15816 Beth Shields Way, Ruskin
- September 23 – Providence Skate Park, 5720 Providence Rd.,Riverview
You will need to bring a photo ID showing residence in Hillsborough County to receive the fish. The fish are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last.
Officials say the fish require no feeding, and their care is limited to protecting them from garden sprays, chlorine, or other cleaning chemicals.
Hillsborough County's Mosquito Management division works to reduce mosquitoes in the county. You can read the agency's four tips on preventing mosquito bites and 13 places you might find standing water by clicking here.
