Mosquitoes from Hurricane Gustav

September 10, 2008

PRESS RELEASE

MOSQUITOES from Hurricane Gustav

As anticipated, large numbers of adult “Hurricane Gustav” pest mosquitoes made their appearance last night. Populations of several other pest species resulting from the rain events associated with Hurricane Gustav will continue to increase over the next few days. The EBRPMARC airplane and two aircraft contracted from Vector Disease Control, Incorporated sprayed much of the parish last night to reduce populations of pest mosquitoes. The EBRPMARC airplane and the two aircraft from VDCI will spray the remainder of the parish tonight, weather permitting.

It is very important that citizens dump water filled containers around their homes to reduce populations of the Asian Tiger Mosquito and the Southern House Mosquito. Unlike the pest mosquito species currently targeted by the aircraft, these two mosquito species do not fly far and develop in water filled containers around homes and businesses. The immature aquatic stages develop slower than the pest mosquito species we are spraying for now and we anticipate that very large numbers of adult Asian Tiger Mosquitoes and Southern House Mosquitoes will begin to emerge from water filled containers around homes Thursday night if citizens do not dump the water. The Asian Tiger Mosquito is a day time biter and the Southern House Mosquito likes to bite inside homes late at night.

Eggs of other pest mosquito species will begin to hatch as floodwaters recede along bayous, rivers and streams and those species will begin to emerge over the next two to three weeks. So the battle will continue for the some time. Currently mosquito abatement personnel are treating large blocks to control mosquitoes and are unable to make individual service requests.

Contact: Matthew Yates at 356-3297 for more information.