Mosquitoes are more than just pests

With the rain and hot weather comes the inevitable mosquito swarms in southern Louisiana. While many welcome outdoor summer fun, those times can be ruined by the pests. Aaron Ashbrook is an entomologist at LSU and says mosquitoes do serve a greater purpose in the ecosystem as a whole ... as annoying as they may be.

"Mosquitoes are actually a food source to many different organisms, whether when they're larvae or adults. A lot of things do eat them, so if we were to eliminate mosquitoes completely, there could be negative consequences for other organisms," Ashbrook emphasizes.

You’re urged to use insect repellant and wear sleeves when you can to avoid the bothersome critters, but according to Ashbrook. People in the area are also advised to get rid of any standing water around the home to mitigate the risk of attracting mosquitoes.However, they're not the constant disease threat they're often made out to be, he went on to emphasize. "What we see are actually these older mosquitoes that tend to be more of a disease risk, because they've fed on an organism that might have a pathogen in it and then acquire it themselves," added Ashbrook.