Cayman Adds US$4.43 Million For Mosquito Control As Ageing Aircraft Hamper Larvicide Spraying
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands — The government has approved approximately US$4.43 million in additional funding for mosquito control as depleted larvicide stocks and maintenance problems affecting two ageing aircraft hamper efforts to contain elevated mosquito numbers.
Cabinet approved US2.16millionforareplacementaircraftandapproximatelyUS2.27 million for additional larvicide under exceptional-circumstance provisions for the 2026 financial year.
Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, the minister responsible for the Mosquito Research and Control Unit (MRCU), told parliament that the original budget provided for one new aircraft, but additional funding would allow both planes to be replaced.
The money for the second aircraft will be transferred from the Infrastructure and Development Fund.
Ebanks-Wilks said increasingly frequent maintenance and repairs were reducing the fleet’s availability for aerial spraying, while replacement parts were becoming difficult to source.
“The number of days the aircraft are out of service for required maintenance and repairs continues to increase, resulting in fewer days available to conduct aerial spraying,” she said.
Replacing both aircraft together would provide procurement savings and simplify maintenance through a standardised fleet, the minister added.
She described the aircraft as critical national assets, allowing crews to treat thousands of acres inaccessible to ground teams and helping protect public health and tourism.
Seasonal rainfall and high tides have flooded swamps and created favourable mosquito-breeding conditions, increasing demand for treatment.
Ebanks-Wilks said the additional larvicide funding supplements the unit’s US$12 million operational budget.
“MRCU’s inventory stockpile of larvicide has depleted much faster than usual,” she said, explaining that elevated temperatures and increased rainfall had prompted preparations for another surge in mosquito numbers.
Larvicide applications target mosquitoes before they emerge as adults. The unit has approximately 15,000 acres to treat, requiring about eight pounds of product per acre.
Despite the operational difficulties, the MRCU reported that mosquito numbers were beginning to decline.
Light-trap counts on Grand Cayman fell about 75 per cent, from approximately 41,000 on October 3 to 10,000 on Wednesday. Counts were also declining across the Sister Islands.
The unit cautioned that numbers remained high and residents might not yet notice an improvement.
Its only operational aircraft is due for scheduled 100-hour maintenance, leaving crews reliant on ground operations during that period. The second plane remains grounded while awaiting a replacement part and will return to service after installation and the required checks.
Ground teams have been working through the day and into the evening, often in hot and difficult conditions.
“MRCU understands the frustration residents are experiencing,” the department said, noting that rainfall and high tides can allow new mosquitoes to emerge even after treatment.
