The Caddo Parish Animal Services and Mosquito Control (ASMC) in Caddo Parish, located in the northwest of Louisiana, is now using drones to combat mosquito populations.
Historically, ASMC has used eight mosquito trucks for mosquito control over a 900-square-mile 9~2331 sq km) area. This year, drones have been deployed to spray insecticide into hard-to-reach locations, to kill mosquito larvae and keep the population under control before the breeding season accelerates in the summer months. The Parish has created a new Everbridge notification system which provides residents with real time, up to the minute updates by texts, emails, or phone calls regarding when their neighborhoods are being treated for mosquito control.
“We are excited about being able to treat mosquitoes in the parish in areas that we haven’t been able to treat before,” said Caddo Mosquito Control Manager Brian Glascock. “We are able to fly the drone over these areas and drop larvicide, hitting the mosquito larvae before they become adults.”
The parish also collects and sends mosquito specimens daily to the LSU veterinary lab for West Nile testing. West Nile Virus, a potentially deadly disease carried by mosquitoes, remains an issue in Louisiana.
“While we are getting vaccinated against Covid-19, it is important to realize that there are no vaccines for the diseases mosquitoes may carry in the United States,” said ASMC Director Travis Clark. “We must be prepared to prevent mosquitoes from developing and protect ourselves when they are around through sustained safe and effective mosquito control measures and through the use of protective personal repellents.”