Florida county boosts mosquito protection

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- As the number of cases of locally acquired Zika virus grows in Miami-Dade County, Palm Beach County hotels and tourism hot spots are expanding efforts to both eliminate mosquitoes on their properties and keep out-of-town visitors and other guests from being bitten.

Several hotels and at least one outdoor attraction in the county about 50 miles north of Miami-Dade County are providing free bug spray for their guests. They are also treating outdoor areas and eliminating standing water to help reduce the mosquito population within their vicinity.

Discover The Palm Beaches, the county's official tourism marketing corporation, has been in close communication with the Florida Department of Health and the county's mosquito control division.

"As the official destination marketing corporation for Palm Beach County, Discover The Palm Beaches' utmost priority is the safety and comfort of our visitors," said Ashley Svarney, director of public relations for Discover The Palm Beaches. "In an overabundance of caution, we understand and respect the concerns of those visiting the destination; however, with no locally acquired cases of Zika reported in Palm Beach County, we feel confident that the county's preventative measures will continue to protect the public."

Despite negative publicity, the state is on pace to beat last year's record of 105 million visitors.

Palm Beach County tourism leaders say news of the south Florida cases hasn't kept visitors from traveling to West Palm Beach, but they aren't taking any chances.

"Our goal is to make this a safe haven," said Naki Carter, a spokesman for the Palm Beach Zoo in West Palm Beach. "We are doing everything we can for our property, for our campus, for our staff and for our guests to feel safe."

The zoo recently installed free insect repellent and hand sanitizer stations throughout its outdoor campus. Last Saturday, Carter said, the zoo went through 100 cans of the repellent.

As warnings about the Zika virus started to grow earlier this year, zoo officials began looking for ways to limit the number of mosquitoes on the property, Carter said. County environmental officials also toured the property and "did not identify any problems," she added.

Zoo employees are also required to attend a mandatory training session about ways to prevent the virus' spread, Carter said.

CityPlace in West Palm Beach has boosted efforts to control mosquitoes. Officials said exterminators have increased spraying, and crews continue to remove standing water from the popular outdoor shopping and entertainment destination.

At Palm Beach Outlets, officials are also working with a company to spray and treat the outdoor shopping hub, General Manager Greg Farrington said.

West Palm Beach hotels are taking similar steps.

Roger Amidon, the general manager at the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa and a member of the county's Tourist Development Council, said the hotel is in the process of purchasing eco-friendly bug spray, which will be given to guests for free.

This spring, the resort installed a system that treats outdoor bushes and vegetation for mosquitoes and other insects, Amidon said.

Other businesses, including restaurants with outdoor seating, car dealerships and outdoor shopping centers, are also trying to control mosquitoes around their properties.

Greg Rice, director of marketing with Hulett Environmental Services, said the company has seen a surge in the number of calls from business owners with outdoor spaces looking to keep mosquitoes at bay.

"We are definitely getting a lot of interest," Rice said.

Business on 08/20/2016

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