Pinellas County is waiving tire disposal fees in an effort to fight mosquitoes that carry dengue fever.
The Board of County Commissioners declared a state of emergency last week after seven locally-acquired dengue cases were reported in the county.
According to a recent Florida Department of Health report, there have been 190 confirmed cases of locally-acquired dengue fever statewide, with 170 in Hillsborough County and two in Pasco County.
Ashley Wyland, Environmental Outreach Specialist with Pinellas County Solid Waste, said getting rid of empty tires could eliminate breeding sites for mosquitoes.
"Waste tires left in the environment collect standing water, so when it rains, they fill up with water and can breed thousands of mosquitoes,” she said. “We want to provide an opportunity for folks living at their homes that might have some tires in their backyards or stored outside somewhere to be able to bring them in and dispose of them for free."
ALSO READ: Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties declare states of emergency to battle dengue fever
According to the National Library of Medicine, eggs can hatch and help mosquitoes go into new areas. Tires offer shady places for mosquitoes while also creating safe environments for mosquito eggs.
Waiving the tire disposal fees helps reduce the risks of people coming into contact with mosquitoes that carry the illness.
And while Wyland said waiving the fee leads to a loss of revenue, county officials are doing what they can to prevent dengue from spreading.
It’s also repeating efforts they’ve used previously to battle standing water.
Wyland said her department held tire amnesty days the last two Aprils where they collected tires from Pinellas residents at no cost.
“We collected almost 1,000 this year, and a little bit over 1,000 tires last year before the start of the summer and the rainy season when those tires can be filling up with water,” she said. “So that event is pretty successful in getting a lot of them out of the environment. So we're hoping that this will be as well.”
Through Oct. 30, people can receive the waiver when they bring up to four tires no more than 36 inches in diameter to the Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal Complex in St. Petersburg.
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But there is one restriction: businesses are not allowed to take part in the fee waivers.
“So any tire shops or mechanics or anywhere like that, they are not able to use the waiver. The waiver is strictly for residential or tires coming from homes. That also includes if someone has tires at their home and they hire someone to haul them here; they will still be charged the normal tire fee,” said Wyland.
The Solid Waste Disposal Complex is at 3095 114th Ave. N. in St. Petersburg, and is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
People must have a valid driver's license to prove that they are Pinellas County residents. The facility also requires visitors to wear closed-toed shoes to enter the site -- no flip-flops, sandals, or open-toed shoes of any kind are allowed.
Officials are urging residents to dump standing water once a week, use insect repellents, and cover up with long sleeves and pants when outside, whether it’s during the day or at night.
