California Deploys Drones To Fight Mosquitoes

The contest between humans and mosquitoes has never stopped. Recently, Orange County in southern California, USA, deployed drones to deal with mosquitoes. It is believed that this new method is more accurate and effective than traditional mosquito control methods.

According to the Associated Press report on June 29, California's wet winter last year led to a spike in mosquito numbers this summer. Around Orange County, some traps are trapping three times the 15-year average, and the need to eradicate them is imminent.

The local area immediately dispatched drones to drop specific drugs in parks, swamps, ponds and other areas in order to accurately kill mosquito larvae. Drone pilot John Savage described mosquito larvae as filter feeders, able to ingest the drug. "If you've seen the movie Alien, you can imagine the scene: the mosquito 'comes from the inside out. Exploding and blooming outside'".

In the past, mosquito exterminators often carried spray buckets on their backs and manually sprayed mosquito repellent. In addition, trucks, planes and helicopters can also drop insecticide. Compared with these traditional methods, drones can deliver drugs more quickly and accurately, and it only takes two minutes to "fix" a delivery area of more than 4,000 square meters, while the same amount of task requires mosquito exterminators to walk for more than an hour to complete.

In addition, the hiking activities of mosquito control personnel have the potential to damage the natural environment and affect wildlife, while drones will not cause these problems.