PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — After two cases of dengue fever were confirmed in Hillsborough County, homeowners in Pinellas are raising concerns about mosquito breeding grounds in their own neighborhoods.
"It’s a feast! Especially in the evenings, during the day not so much, but in the evenings, starting around 5 p.m., you can’t wear dark clothes, in my case, my legs get pummeled by mosquitoes," said Oxalis Garcia.
WATCH: Pinellas County homeowners see increase in mosquito issues
Garcia used to live in Shore Acres. Her home burnt down a couple of years ago, and now all that’s left is a lot. It's land that she works hard to keep mosquitoes away from.
"We have definitely seen an uptick in mosquitoes, as you can see from the lot, we have some wet areas. This is from rain from the last two days," said Garcia.
But as much as she works to keep mosquitoes from breeding, neighbors said there’s an ongoing issue with standing water in the area.
"My neighbors actually have a pool that hasn’t received maintenance whatsoever, and the pool right now is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes, which increases the problem," said Garcia.
Throughout Pinellas County, many people abandoned their homes after Hurricane Helene, and because of that, pools and backyards haven’t been maintained.
"Nature is nature, nature is going to take advantage of any resources they have available, and in this case, mosquitoes are taking advantage of the breeding grounds they have available to them," said Garcia.
Another concern is areas where homes are being rebuilt, as rainwater has been pooling at construction sites.
"We have gotten calls about people being concerned about a nearby property or an issue they know about their community," said Caroline Pickart, with Pinellas County Mosquito Control.
Pickart said if people have concerns about standing water on other properties, education is the first step.
"Talking and trying to get that education out there because that’s how we can work together to get those neighbors who might not know or can’t do it on their own," said Pickart.
Pinellas County offers a free mosquito inspection to residents, and if education doesn’t work, code enforcement can get involved.
"We just want residents to be vigilant about containers that may be sitting around their yard that may be collecting water, to make sure they are getting rid of those," said Pickart.
Oxalis said taking care of your home goes a long way to help the community.
"Consider your neighbor. We live in a society where we need to live with each other, and we need to cooperate with each other, just because you’re not here and it doesn’t impact you, doesn't mean it's not impacting others," said Garcia.
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