Next Phase of Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and Oxitec Pilot Project Set to Commence in the Florida Keys
MEDIA ADVISORY
DATE: 09 September 2022
Next Phase of Florida Keys Mosquito Control District and Oxitec Pilot Project Set to Commence in the Florida Keys
The next project phase in the partnership between the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District (FKMCD) and Oxitec will launch on or after 16th September 2022. This follows 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).
This is the third pilot project in 2022, termed “Project E”.
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 FKMCD have announced that the third phase of the 2022 FKMCD-Oxitec Mosquito Project will begin on or after 16th September 2022. Termed “Project E”, this pilot project will see the mark, release, and recapture of Oxitec’s male mosquitoes. The project will assess biological performance parameters of released Oxitec male mosquitoes, such as lifespan and dispersal.
Following the initiation of the neighborhood-scale Project B in May 2022, Project D launched in June with the placement of Oxitec’s just-add-water mosquito boxes on the individual properties of volunteer residents in three release areas: Vaca Key, Fat Deer Key and Grassy Key, with untreated comparison sites monitored on Vaca Key, Key Colony Beach, Duck Key and Conch Key.
Project E comprises three staged releases of up to 20,000 Oxitec male, non-biting, mosquitoes, that will take place over several weeks from a central point on Ramrod Key. These mosquitoes will be marked prior to release, and then recaptured in mosquito traps on Ramrod Key. Monitoring will continue after the final release. 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 maximum number of Oxitec mosquitoes released across all three 2022 projects is estimated to be seven million. 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.
FKMCD and Oxitec shared a Progress Report on the 2022 Projects in their Public Educational Webinar, held on 30th August 2022. This was the 20th in the series, with all past webinars available to watch on keysmosquitoproject.com/resources.
**ENDS*
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;
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.