Where there is standing water there is a risk of an increase in the mosquito population. Unfortunately there is a lot of standing water around many places in Louisiana. While that water is slowly receding there will be places where the ponding and puddling of water will create a dynamic breeding ground for a pest we are all too familiar with.

Dr. Frank Welch with the Department of Health and Hospitals says it's typical to see increases in the mosquito population at this time of year but the extra standing water might exacerbate that problem.

When it’s cold in the winter, we don’t see many mosquitoes in Louisiana, but as it warms up, we really get an influx of all different kinds of mosquitoes.

One of the newer threats besides the irritation of dealing with biting mosquitoes is the Zika virus that has been linked to mosquitoes. This virus has been reported in South Louisiana and Dr. Welch has concerns that an increase in mosquito population could create a bigger risk with the transmission of the Zika virus.  Dr. Welch recommends that property owners double check their land for possible breeding grounds for this and other mosquitoes.

This mosquito likes those little hidden places, like an upturned flower pot, or a knot in a tree hole, or the inside of a tire.

Another issue that concerns Dr. Welch is the fact that mosquito eggs can remain dormant for years without water. He believes that eggs that may have been in that sleeping stage for years will hatch and bring even more mosquitoes for us to deal with. That means adopting extra measures of protection.

Make sure you wear mosquito repellent and long-sleeved clothing. Make sure inside that there’s screens on your windows.

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