Mosquito Eating Fish Native to Florida

Living in Florida has many advantages like our beautiful beaches, year-round sunshine and we live where many vacation. However, living in Florida, we must learn how to protect ourselves from our pesky/biting natives, the mosquito. Luckily, Florida has some unique approaches to supplement your mosquito control service, Mosquito Eating Fish.

What are Mosquito Eating Fish?

Mosquito Eating Fish, formally known as Gambusia holbrooki and/or affinis, are used for biological/natural control of mosquitoes in Florida.

These fish feed on not only mosquito larvae but the mayfly, water beetles, mites and many other aquatic pests. Mosquito fish prevent mosquito larvae from developing into adults that can invade your property, bite you and even worse transmit/infect you and your pets (puppies and dogs) with mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile Virus, Encephalitis, Dengue and Yellow Fever, just to name a few.

Mosquito fish are native to Florida, allowing them to sustain populations in ornamental and natural ponds, fountains, as well as abandoned pools.

There are eight species of Mosquito Eating Fish in Florida that resemble a minnow. One fish can eat approximately 100-500 larvae per day even though they are relatively small - the maximum length of a female is 2.8” inches and males 1.6”.

Where to Get, Place and Care for your Mosquito Eating Fish

Mosquito Eating Fish are hearty and can live in harsh conditions. Ideal areas to place them are in ponds, unchlorinated pools, fountains and planters/buckets with standing water.

If you live in Hillsborough County, you are in luck, as the Mosquito Control district provides these fish to its residents, free of charge. Otherwise, you can purchase them locally or order them on-line.

When you get your mosquito fish, take care to ensure the fish remain alive during transportation and release. When you get home:

• Place the bag of fish into the water source and allow for it to float for 10 minutes to acclimate to the water temperature.
• After, 10 minutes, open the bag and release the fish.
• If the fish eat and deplete the mosquito larvae supply, you can supplement their diet with tropical fish flakes which will maintain a healthy population all year long.

Your Next Steps

Inspect your property to identify where you need Mosquito Eating Fish. Pick-up, purchase or order your fish and place them in the water.

Keep in mind that these fish are another “tool” to control the mosquito larvae population, but they cannot eradicate all larvae and cannot eradicate/control adult mosquitoes that have hatched and are in your yard.

So, what can you do to control/ eliminate biting insect and the pesky mosquito, Joe or MaryBeth, owners of Mosquito Squad of Tampa Bay, are your local experts and authority on mosquitoes and other biting insect eradication and control.

Contact them today at tampabay@mosquitosquad.com or 813-502-0505 to learn more about Mosquito Biting Fish, other solutions and Mosquito Squad’s innovative and guaranteed barrier treatment service, perimeter pest control and automatic misting systems. NO BUGS, NO BITES, NO KIDDING!