As the region moves toward cooler months, changing weather patterns across the state are affecting mosquito activity levels, according to experts with the University of Florida.

While mosquito activity typically declines once temperatures fall below 50 degrees Fahrenheit, a combination of drought and late-season rainfall has created complex conditions potentially influencing mosquito populations and the spread of viruses.

"Florida's multiple climate zones allow for a high diversity of mosquitoes," said Dr. Eva Buckner, an assistant professor at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Medical Entomology Laboratory.

Communities along the Interstate 10 corridor have experienced arid conditions ranging from abnormally dry to a severe drought, while some areas

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