December and January are as close as we get in South Louisiana to downtime in the mosquito abatement business. Colder weather means reduced mosquito activity and slower mosquito development times. Consequently, field operations to control mosquitoes grind to a halt at this time of year. Adult mosquito populations were not high enough to require ULV truck or airplane treatments during December. Total rainfall during December (6.09 in) was near the ten-year historical average (5.71 in) for the month. Average December temperature (55֯ F) was also similar to the ten-year historical average (54.6 ֯F).
Though mosquito populations in December did not dictate much abatement activity, District personnel was quite preparing for and attending the Annual Meeting of the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association (LMCA) held in Lafayette, LA. Twelve members of our District staff and one Commissioner attended this three-day scientific and operational conference. Our agency presented four oral presentations and one poster at this meeting.
Finally, we welcomed Mrs. Jennifer Bushnell as our new Media and Outreach Specialist in late November. Jennifer comes to us from the St. Tammany Parish Public Information Office. Her perspective on effective communication and her technical graphic design skills are already having a big impact on our outreach materials. We are very excited to have her join our team.
Sincerely,
Kevin A. Caillouet, Ph.D., M.S.P.H.
Director