Mosquito Management Plan

Every year, St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement District (STPMAD) updates and follows a mosquito management plan in order to respond to shifting populations of nuisance and pathogen-carrying mosquito species. Mosquito traps are set across the Parish twice a week to better understand where mosquito problems may be developing. Certain species of mosquitoes collected in these traps are sent to Louisiana State University and tested for the presence of dangerous pathogens, including the West Nile and Zika viruses. Surveillance data directly influences where mosquito abatement intervention is necessary, as well as where it is not.

Mosquitoes are most abundant in hot summer months, a time period where STPMAD ramps up mosquito abatement efforts considerably. Insecticides targeting mosquito larvae (larvicides) and adults (adulticides) are often used more frequently in hot summer months in response to faster-developing and more numerous mosquitoes. When mosquitoes are found to be carrying dangerous pathogens (including West Nile), STPMAD devotes additional time to surveillance and treatment in affected areas.

2024 Integrated Mosquito Management Plan

Adulticide Spray Exclusion Policy

Surveillance & Trapping

Our mosquito management decisions are made based on the number of mosquitoes and larvae collected each day by our field biologists and disease indicators found through lab testing.

Larvicide Treatments

Applied during the day to the ditches throughout the parish to control larval mosquitoes from becoming adult biting mosquitoes. 

Trucks & Aerial Treatments

These operations only occur at night to minimize impact on non-target species. We closely monitor the application rate and droplet size of the insecticides to target only mosquitoes and use products that breakdown quickly to minimize impact.

Research

We perform annual testing of the products used for resistance and conduct studies on how mosquito populations are impacted by environmental changes.