Prepare for the Mosquito Invasion

It's not like we don't battle mosquitoes a lot here in Southwest Louisiana, but we could see even more of those nasty pests following last weeks flooding. The folks at Calcasieu Parish Mosquito Control tell us that, following an event like a flood, it's usually about 7 to 10 days before we start to see the swarms of mosquitoes associated with the flooding.

While the Zika virus has been detected here in Louisiana, according to the folks at Mosquito Control, the odds of this fresh batch of mosquitoes is not likely to pose a danger of carrying the virus.

Scott Harrington of the parish mosquito control office says that flood water mosquitoes don't really have time to pick up any viruses before biting their victims and that the kind of mosquitoes we might see in the next few days will be, "more of a nuisance than a threat."

I spoke with Scott Willis of the mosquito control and he told me that the type of mosquito that carries the Zika virus isn't really found in our part of the state. Willis added that, in our area, the biggest concern is the Culex or Southern House Mosquito and that breed does carry West Nile Virus.

Willis informed us that the mosquito population is below average right now becasue of the cooler weather we've been having, but once things warm up, the mosquito population will increase with a peak in the Summer months.

Still, it never hurts to be on the safe side. Try to get rid of any and all standing water on your property and wear a good mosquito repellent when you're going to be outside for any length of time.