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The Importance of Mosquito Control

Mosquitoes can breed anywhere there is water. With countless marshes and bayous in Louisiana, these insects can definitely become problematic. This is where effective mosquito control comes into play.

Why bother?

There are numerous reasons to keep the mosquito population under control–the most important is being that they carry diseases. Controlling their population can considerably lessen the risk of transmitting diseases like Eastern Equine Encephalitis and West Nile virus. Mosquitoes can infect your pets as well with parasites like heartworms.

Shockingly enough, the answer to Louisiana’s mosquito problem isn’t complete extermination. Mosquitoes actually play a critical role in the bayou ecosystem. In Louisiana, animals like birds rely on them as a food source.

The purpose of mosquito control is to decrease the amount of them in a given area. Stan’s Airboat & Marsh Excavator Service implements a multi-faceted, comprehensive method to focus on the mosquito in its various life stages and environments.

The Mosquito Life Cycle

Female mosquitoes feast on the blood of people, birds, and animals with their long proboscis, while male mosquitoes feed on nectar with their short mouths. Once the female is finished eating, it gains the protein needed to lay eggs. Although, not every adult female bites humans—some would rather snakes, birds, or other large mammals.

The best way to keep the mosquito population under control is with integrated pest management. This method considers all four stages of the mosquito life cycle: egg, larva, pupa, and adult. All of these stages depend on standing water except for the adult stage (when the mosquito bites).

In Louisiana, mosquitoes are the most active at dawn, dusk, and the two hours immediately following sunset. For those working in Louisiana’s wetlands, the secret to minimizing bug bites is to wear bug repellent and light-colored clothing.

Using Louisiana’s Wetlands

Total elimination of mosquitoes would be impossible due to the distance they can fly (over thirty miles), and their range of favorable habitats. Because of this, the goal is simply to decrease their population.

Wildly enough, healthy wetland areas, like the ones in Louisiana, can actually supply the proper setting to guarantee the mosquitoes’ natural enemies, such as dragonflies and water striders.

Audubon magazine states that the mosquito population decreased by 90 percent when the Essex County Mosquito Control Project rebuilt a 1,500 acre wetland in Massachusetts. This is an example demonstrating just how vital wetlands are in helping to greatly reduce, or eliminate, flooding in places that would usually lack these mosquito predators.

Airboat and Marsh Excavation

We at Stan’s Airboat and Marsh Excavator Service have the knowledge and expertise to handle several projects within the wetlands of Louisiana, from erosion control and marsh constructions, to oil spill cleanup and recovery. Contact our mosquito control experts today.

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