Beginning May 12, St. Tammany Parish's Mosquito Abatement will launch a helicopter to specifically target an areas where mosquitos carrying infectous West Nile Virus were found last year.
Dr. Kevin Caillouet, Director of St. Tammany Parish Mosquito Abatement says “Treating mosquitoes by helicopter has been successfully used by several counties in Florida for many years, and has been attributed to their ability to keep Zika virus under control in that region.”
Caillouet says using a helicopter enables aerial spraying of larvicide. The larvicide attacks juvenile mosquitos and kills them before they mature and begin stinging people, sucking blood, and passing West Nile. The chopper will focus on areas of standing water, like ditches, unmaintained swimming pools, ponds and agricultural water cisterns.
The helicopter has the ability to fly low and slow over a designated area, enabling it to more effectively distribute the larvicide over challenging habitats including woodlands and marshes. Residents can expect it to be louder as the helicopter makes a few low passes near their homes, spraying a very fine mist over the area.
The helicopter will be used in operations to kill biting adult mosquitoes as well, working in concert with the ground spray trucks and fixed-wing aircraft.
The department says an experienced mosquito control helicopter pilot from Minnesota will be at the controls of the chopper.