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re: Mosquitos in BR are at insane levels

Posted on 2/19/24 at 1:40 pm to
Posted by sta4ever
The Pit
Member since Aug 2014
15225 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 1:40 pm to
If you think they’re bad now, just wait till it warms up and rains all the damn time. Pipe it down city slicker.
Posted by TigersSEC2010
Warren, Michigan
Member since Jan 2010
37365 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 1:42 pm to
They have been horrific. Clearly the right conditions occurred to allow them to explode. I can't wait for the parish to start fogging and kill them off.
Posted by LegendInMyMind
Member since Apr 2019
54473 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 1:43 pm to
quote:

I find mosquitos become more a problem in south Louisiana during little rain fall or slight droughts. During frequent and heavy rains their breeding locations get washed away.

It is more about pressure than anything else.

Female mosquitoes, like many other insects, can store sperm for quite sometime until either conditions improve, or they find a suitable spot to lay eggs. So, what you have is a bunch of female mosquitoes (the ones that bite) looking to lay eggs but struggling in unfavourable conditions. As soon as a suitable spot is found, and it doesn't take much water at all, every mosquito in the area will drop her eggs resulting in a population boom.

Meanwhile, other insects and birds that feed on those mosquitoes are also stressed and impacted by the negative conditions. They likely aren't around in numbers great enough to immediately check the boom of the next generation of mosquitoes.
This post was edited on 2/19/24 at 1:47 pm
Posted by Upperdecker
St. George, LA
Member since Nov 2014
30593 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 1:43 pm to
The mosquitos were terrible last week. Didn’t see any this morning with the cold
Posted by zadams_318
McKinney, TX
Member since Aug 2019
470 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 1:55 pm to
quote:

You're obviously from Texas. We call them "Daddy long legs" on the east side if the state line. Yes, they're out in force.



That's a spider, baw
Posted by Master Guilbeau
Member since Jan 2013
1120 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 2:11 pm to
The mosquitoes were the worst I’ve seen them this last fall. Mosquito hawks are crazy right now but I haven’t seen a lot of mosquitoes.
Posted by LSUA 75
Colfax,La.
Member since Jan 2019
3707 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 2:21 pm to
I haven’t seen a mosquito in months here in Grant parish,no Crane flies either.
Posted by lsutigers23
Member since Jan 2009
661 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 2:23 pm to
Well if you own your property out here you are taxed for mosquito control, however they only spray down your street or in your yard if you make a request. You must call everytime you want them to spray, there is no how can y’all spray once a month etc, etc.

Probably why they have like a 3 million surplus and were buying helicopters with it. Anyway maybe they could reallocate some of that money to improve drainage to help the situation or just regularly spray.
Posted by CrystalPreserves
Member since May 2019
2601 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 2:26 pm to
I haven’t noticed more mosquitos, but those bigger looking mosquito hawks are covering my lawn and carport.
Posted by LegendInMyMind
Member since Apr 2019
54473 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 3:18 pm to
quote:

Well if you own your property out here you are taxed for mosquito control, however they only spray down your street or in your yard if you make a request. You must call everytime you want them to spray, there is no how can y’all spray once a month etc, etc.

Probably why they have like a 3 million surplus and were buying helicopters with it. Anyway maybe they could reallocate some of that money to improve drainage to help the situation or just regularly spray.

Unfortunately, constant fogging/spraying is a problem longterm. It turns into an endless cycle because it pretty much poisons and kills indiscriminately. Along with the mosquitoes it will kill many beneficial insects, including those that are natural predators of mosquitoes at all life stages. The bigger downside to fogging/spraying is that mosquitoes become more resistant to the chemicals in constant use when many of those beneficial insects don't. So, as time goes on the fogging works less and less, but the beneficials continue to be killed off. So, you're left with fogging being the only viable option, at least until native populations of beneficial predatory insects can rebound.

That problem snowballs within the food web, too. You remove the mosquitoes and the beneficials, thus limiting the available food sources for bird populations in a given area. The birds leave in search of a better food source, and another check to the mosquitoes (and their larvae) is gone.

You're right, managing the drainage issue is paramount. That removes viable, non-natural breeding grounds for the mosquitoes. But, on a personal level we can have an impact on mosquito control, too. Get out of the mindset of needing the traditional manicured lawn packed full of non-native plant species from the grass to the flowers and trees. Reintroduce native plant species that encourage beneficial, native insects to hang around our yards and neighborhoods, which will elevate the bird population. Then, we are much closer to finding a natural balance and greatly curtailing the massive amounts of chemicals we dump into the ground and water supply.
Posted by 2tigergo
Member since Jan 2013
201 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 3:23 pm to
I've had more than normal mosquitos lately, but what people are referring to as mosquito hawks, I've always known them as crane flies.

Dragon flies are the true mosquito hawks, which sadly, I never see enough of them.
Posted by bayoubengals88
LA
Member since Sep 2007
18965 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 3:43 pm to
quote:

I've had more than normal mosquitos lately, but what people are referring to as mosquito hawks, I've always known them as crane flies.

Correct.

I don't think there are actually many regular biting mosquitos flying around at all.

Everyone is likely talking about the large crane flies, which are:
1) harmless and
2) not mosquitos.

>
Posted by RedHawk
Baton Rouge
Member since Aug 2007
8852 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 4:31 pm to
I’m seeing a lot of huge mosquitos as well in BR. Worst I’ve ever seen. These are not crane flies either.
Posted by MikeD
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2004
7255 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 4:33 pm to
quote:

A similar thread last week was determined to be crane flies.


Definitely not crane flies. 100% mosquitoes. And I concur they are the most I’ve ever seen.
Posted by CollegeFBRules
Member since Oct 2008
24265 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 4:33 pm to
quote:

For those who are pretending like this is “normal”, but like they idiotically did during the summer heat wave/drought: yes, we always have mosquitos. No, they are normally not even close to this bad.


What are you basing this “authority” on?
Posted by MikeD
Baton Rouge
Member since Jan 2004
7255 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 4:37 pm to
quote:

Everyone is likely talking about the large crane flies, which are: 1) harmless and 2) not mosquitos.


Opened my back door from a room with lights on and bare windows the other day for a few seconds to let dogs out… probably 30 streamed in. Now we go out from rooms that are completely dark.
Posted by Zander Kelley
Member since Jan 2024
346 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 4:39 pm to
No it's mosquitos. Go outside and look on your siding and such. They are everywhere. Trying to get EBR to come spray.
Posted by Zander Kelley
Member since Jan 2024
346 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 4:46 pm to
Fun Fact: Mosquitos can go dormant and survive sub zero temperatures.
Posted by bayoubengals88
LA
Member since Sep 2007
18965 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 4:47 pm to
quote:

I’m seeing a lot of huge mosquitos as well in BR. Worst I’ve ever seen. These are not crane flies either.

Well I guess my Talstar P is really working then becuase my toddler plays outside all the time and him nor I have had the first bite this year.

I spray the peremeter of the house and the entire yard.
Posted by SixthAndBarone
Member since Jan 2019
8238 posts
Posted on 2/19/24 at 4:47 pm to
quote:

You sure it wasn't mosquito hawks?


Crane flies.
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