MOULTRIE, Ga. — A recent recycling event hosted by Colquitt County brought in everything from golf cart tires to huge tractor tires, a total of nearly 11,000 in all.

Some 2,000 tires from the former 319 Auto Salvage were among those brought in April 25 and 26 to the Colquitt County recycling site located at 245 23rd St. N.E.

“It was a huge success,” said Stacy Griffin, who heads up the Colquitt County Solid Waste Department. “We collected 10,800 within the two days.”

With little cold weather to knock mosquito populations down and a wet spring, old tires are a great breeding ground for the stinging insects that can bring diseases to humans, dogs, horses and other animals.

Reducing the number of tires around homes helps eliminate the standing water that old tires can hold.

“I think we did a great thing cleaning up the community, hopefully cutting down on mosquitoes and unsightly tire piles on people’s property,” Griffin said.

Farmers also took advantage, bringing in tires from tractors, farm trucks and irrigation pivots, he said.

“I think it’s great we’re able to help our farming community,” Griffin said.

With a mountain of tires on hand, the next step is to get rid of them. Quality Tire Recycling Inc. in Jackson, Ga., will be sending trucks to haul the tires away.

On Tuesdays and Thursdays prison inmates from Colquitt County Correctional Institution will load the trucks until all have been removed.

The county was able to provide the recycling event with the help of a $31,500 grant from the Georgia Environmental Protection Division. Another grant for the same amount will allow the county to collect tires on Oct. 25 and 26, so people who missed out in the spring will have another opportunity to dispose of old tires at no cost.

“I want to try to continue applying for these scrap tire grants as long as there is money available from the EPD,” Griffin said.