Thanks to its many swamps and humid climate, Florida is known for its mosquitoes. However, the one place you won’t find the pesky insects is at Disney World. That’s because there’s a dedicated team of people who work on what Disney calls its Mosquito Surveillance Program. First, they set carbon dioxide traps all over the massive property. Once the mosquitoes are trapped, Disney freezes them in order to study them. This analysis helps the park determine how to eradicate them. What they've found is that chickens are the best line of defense. Chickens live in coops around the park, with employees monitoring their blood for mosquito-borne diseases. Chickens, it turns out, don’t get sick from diseases like humans do. If a mosquito-borne disease is detected, employees know the location from where the chickens picked up the disease and can take action to address mosquitoes in that area. The Mosquito Surveillance Team sprays pesticides where the mosquitoes are populous, as well as placing growth regulators that limit mosquito larvae, killing them before they can hatch. Sometimes there are too many mosquitoes in Florida even for Mickey Mouse to conquer. That's usually when they're tied to an endemic that's simply too large to control. In that case, Disney places safety over customer service by opening the golf courses and water attractions in the parks late and closing them early. These measures keep guests safe during the mosquitoes’ most active hours.
