293 - Staff education from an entomologist's perspective

Abstract: At Pasco County Mosquito Control District we strive for increased training and employee education. For over a year the entomology department has found new ways to educate our staff with important information they utilize in their daily duties. During morning staff meetings training topics have included mosquito of the week, modes of action, and arboviruses. Delivering this information in a concise and digestible way has allowed employees to better understand various components of the mosquito control industry and public health. A few personnel have even shown interest in adult mosquito identification and training during the winter months. Education has even stretched to the public on our social media accounts with segments such as mosquito of the month. Future directions for staff education include in-house training for new staff needing to acquire their public health license.