By Josh Hightower, Cameron Parish Mosquito Abatement Director

Due to the coastal flooding caused by strong winds over the weekend and heavy rains on Monday, Apr. 29, in Cameron Parish, we are expecting an increase in mosquito populations throughout the entire parish this weekend and early next week.

Since the high tides and rain occurred many days in a row, there will likely be multiple broods of mosquitoes hatching off many days in a row. Typically, it will take about a week for the adult mosquitoes to emerge following a rise in water from rain or tides. Cameron Parish mosquito control employees will be monitoring the mosquito populations daily and we will spray areas with the highest mosquito populations with plane and/or trucks when the weather permits until the mosquitoes are back to a tolerable level. It may take many days of spraying before we reach this level since we are expecting many broods to hatch.

The following precautions will help protect you from mosquitoes. Try to remain indoors when mosquitoes are active. If you are outdoors when they are active, wear light colored, long protective clothing, and wear a repellent. Repellents that contain DEET are some of the most effective products to repel mosquitoes. Keeping your lawn cut, emptying containers that hold water, and turning outdoor lights off at night also help reduce the mosquitoes around your house. Some products that are available to the public to reduce mosquitoes on your property include permethrin, bifenthrin, and Cutter back yard spray. These products can be found at feed stores, home improvement stores, and online.

If you have questions or concerns, please call our office at 337-775-5942 or the office cell phone at 337-512-4040 during normal business hours (Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.). After business hours please leave a message with your name, phone number and address. All residents that call after normal business hours will receive a call back the following morning.