The Western Mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, is the most widely distributed fish in the world and likely the single biggest mosquito predator. Undoubtedly, this diminutive fish, no larger than a few inches, has saved more human and animal lives from mosquito-transmitted diseases than any other organism — doctors included. For this reason, the mosquitofish is humanity’s…
Where mosquito larvae are found is not just a function of where their predators are not. Female mosquitoes selectively choose habitats to promote survivorship of their offspring. To better understand the habitat choices of the southern house mosquito, STPMAD has performed egg-laying choice experiments with 5-gallon buckets. By counting egg rafts deposited overnight in various…
Under the guidance of Dr. Don Yee in collaboration with STPMAD, Catherine Dean Bermond, a University of Southern Mississippi graduate student is completing her Masters thesis on the sewage influence on the southern house mosquito life-history traits (development time and body size). As well, Ms. Bermond is investigating carbon (C) to nitrogen (N) ratios in…
Mosquito Abatement is fortunate that the National Weather Service (NWS) and Lower Mississippi River Forecast Center office is immediately next door. This proximity has led to a valuable collaboration with meteorologists Jared Klein and David Schlotzhauer. Though we’ve known that the abundance of southern house mosquitoes was associated with drought conditions, precipitation data provided by…
It rains a lot in South Louisiana. Intuitively, rain creates standing water where most mosquitoes lay their eggs and rear their offspring as larvae and pupae. Most mosquito species’ populations demonstrate a positive association with increasing amount or frequency of rainfall. Counterintuitively, the southern house mosquito bucks this trend — this West Nile vector is…
Routine inspection for mosquito larvae involves counting larvae in water samples taken by a pint-sized “dipper” on a yard-long stick. Mosquito control personnel take hundreds of such samples per day in a haphazard fashion—dipping wherever they suspect larvae may inhabit. Using this approach, field biologists find hotspots effectively, cover a lot of ground, and treat…
Effluent discharged into ditches is not the only source conducive for mosquito production associated with OWTS. Mosquitoes can infiltrate OWTS settling tanks if lids are broken, missing, or other access points allow entry. In 2019, field biologists performed inspections door-to-door in the Tammany Hills neighborhood to understand whether mosquito production was occurring within OWTS tanks.…
Q: I keep my “septic” system (OWTS) maintained all the time, why should I care about mosquitoes these systems may produce? A: The answer is that because mosquitoes can fly, even if you keep your OWTS working, your neighbor’s unmaintained system may be producing mosquitoes that can transmit WNV. In fact, according to our partners…
Knowing there is a problem and providing temporary mitigation to limit mosquito populations does not address the root cause of the sewage-associated mosquito production. In 2015, STPMAD joined an informal Water Quality Taskforce consisting of St. Tammany Parish Departments of Planning and Environmental Services, LA Department of Environmental Quality, LA Department of Health, LA Sea…
St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement (STPMAD) has measured a significant increase in the number of floodwater mosquitoes collected in traps over recent days. Due to the large amount of rainfall the region recently received with Hurricane Ida, areas across St. Tammany Parish are experiencing explosive populations of Aedes atlanticus and Psorophora ferox mosquitoes. These two…
