SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – With rising summer temperatures and plenty of recent rainfall, mosquito season is officially here in Chatham County. However, behind the scenes some unusual helpers are working hard to keep us safe.
They’re called sentinel chickens. For more than 20 years they have helped Chatham County Mosquito Control detect dangerous diseases before they infect humans. Because mosquitoes prefer to bite birds, the team raises chickens and hoists them up into trees overnight to mimic wild roosting birds.
“We actually put them about ten foot up in a tree in a pulley system and they get to spend the night up there to act like a roosting bird,” said Ture Carlson, the director of Chatham County Mosquito Control…