VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Mosquito Joe has been getting more calls that usual lately. Those calls are asking that crews spray their properties.
"Just from April to this time, we have seen an uptick in customers because they're hearing things like the cases in Florida," Kris Bowers, a field technician told News 3.
Read more: Florida health officials confirm local Zika transmission
A lot of those calls are coming from Virginia Beach, specifically the Little Neck, Great Neck, and Pungo areas.
All of those places have a few things in common: standing water and plant life.
"Those are the [places] closer to the water. And a lot of houses have denser foliage so they're calling us to make sure we can hit, and get good coverage of their property," Bowers said.
In one day, his crew typically services 100 homes in Virginia Beach, plus another 30-40 in Norfolk.
"They want to be preemptive if [the virus] does start to travel more north. They're taking care of it before it gets here," he said.
Today, health officials announced four Zika cases in Florida. They're the first known cases of the virus being transmitted in the U.S.
However, health officials aren't expecting widespread transmission.
As for what locals can do, Bowers says take a good look at your own lawn and what's surrounding it.
"Make sure you don't have any standing water around the property. Make sure the property is as clean as possible, as well as gardens and thick foliage," he said.
Related:
CDC awards Virginia $1 million to help fight Zika virus
Virginia to test mosquitoes in Hampton Roads for Zika
Sen. Tim Kaine hosts roundtable discussion on Zika virus in Virginia
