Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and Oxitec Conclude Another Mosquito Season in the Florida Keys, Plans for Third in 2023
ANNOUNCEMENT
January 25, 2023
Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and Oxitec Conclude Another Mosquito Season in the Florida Keys, Plans for Third in 2023
The second season of deployments of Oxitec’s non-biting male mosquitoes in the Florida Keys, USA, has concluded, demonstrating strong male mosquito performance and Aedes aegypti mosquito population reduction.
These pilot male mosquito releases followed federal approval in March 2022 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and in May 2022 from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).
The Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) and Oxitec are now planning for a third season of male mosquito releases in 2023.
Like all male mosquitoes, Oxitec’s male mosquitoes do not bite. Federal and state regulators have concluded that Oxitec’s non-biting males pose no risks to human health or the environment.
Marathon, FL: Oxitec and the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) have announced the end of the 2022 FKMCD-Oxitec Mosquito Project season. The 2022 male mosquito releases once again demonstrated the strong performance of Oxitec’s non-biting male mosquitoes in limited Florida Keys communities, in which the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito are present. Based on promising results, the FKMCD-Oxitec Mosquito Project will conduct a third season of deployments in 2023.
This 2022 pilot season demonstrated that Oxitec’s male mosquitoes are able to disperse throughout release areas within Florida Keys communities, that they can find and mate invasive wild Aedes aegypti females, and that their deployment can yield Aedes aegypti population reduction.
Population monitoring will continue for a period following the final releases at the end of 2022. Oxitec’s self-limiting technology means that any female offspring from encounters between Oxitec’s male mosquitoes and invasive female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes cannot survive.
The project team plans to share additional information regarding project results with Florida Keys communities and others early in the year.
Oxitec mosquitoes are proven to control the disease-transmitting Aedes aegypti mosquito, which has invaded the Florida Keys. Oxitec’s targeted biological pest control technology is safe, sustainable, and harmless to the local ecosystem, including beneficial insects like bees and butterflies.
Oxitec’s CEO, Grey Frandsen, commented that “We’re delighted with the results of this second season of the project in the Florida Keys. We’re thankful to the communities that have welcomed our teams and participated in this project, and for our strong and lasting partnership with the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District.”
Andrea Leal, Executive Director at the FKMCD, added that “The first two pilot seasons have confirmed that the Oxitec mosquito is a promising tool for sustainable control of the invasive Aedes aegypti mosquito. We’re looking forward to 2023 as part of our ongoing efforts to evaluate the best available vector control tools to protect the people of the Florida Keys from dangerous mosquitoes while also protecting the environment.”
FKMCD and Oxitec have shared previous updates on the 2022 Project and related topics in 20+ Public Educational Webinars. All past webinars available to watch on our project website: https://www.keysmosquitoproject.com/events
A recent peer-reviewed scientific publication, describing pilots of the same non-biting Oxitec mosquitoes, which led to 95% and higher suppression of invasive Aedes aegypti in Brazilian communities, can be found here: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2022.975786/full
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Press Inquiries:
Florida Keys Mosquito Control District
Chad Huff, Public Education & Information Officer
O: 305-292-7190
C: 305-481-2207
Oxitec
+1-202-792-3080
Additional resources:
• The U.S. EPA’s approval of and complete risk assessment of the pilot project;
• The U.S. EPA’s responses to public comments;
• 100+ independent peer-reviewed scientific publications on Oxitec technology;
• Oxitec’s announcement of pilot results in Brazil;
• The FKMCD – Oxitec Mosquito Project website.
About Oxitec
Oxitec is the leading developer of biological solutions to control pests that transmit disease, destroy crops and harm livestock. Founded in 2002 at the University of Oxford, Oxitec is led by a passionate team comprised of 15 nationalities and is supported by world-class public, private and non-profit partners.
Learn more at oxitec.com.