From the killing fields to the war room, former enlisted Marine Donnie Hayes is directing the battle of the blood suckers.
"Basically we have maps that tell the story of what's going on with mosquitoes in Hillsborough County," says Hayes.
And now Hillsborough County Mosquito Control is using a new weapon: Mapping software that plots out precisely where the insect enemy is.
When asked if he feels like he's t war with an insect? Hayes responds, "We are and we do call this central command for us here at mosquito control."
The advantage of digital maps that can be updated every second is real time data on where the mosquito hot zones are.
"Every time a citizen calls into Hillsborough County Mosquito Control, we are able to put a dot on the map on where that call is coming from," says Hayes.
All of the information is cataloged and mapped, revealing where they need to send in the spray trucks to kill the mosquitoes.
How does this technology help them fight the potential threat of Zika?
"Definitely enabling us to make operational decisions sooner. To be able to put it on a map we can make operational decisions instantly vs waiting 24 to 48 Hours," says Hayes.
In its first month of use mosquito control has plotted more than 18-hundred mosquito larvae sites.
