Drones Could Be Future Of Mosquito Prevention In Lafayette
Currently in Lafayette, drones aren't used for spraying for mosquitoes, but that could change in the future.
Glenn Stokes, owner of Mosquito Control Contractors Inc., tells The Advocate that he does use drones currently, but not to spray. The drones he uses cost around $1,500, and are used to search for hard to access breeding sites for mosquitoes.
As far as spraying drones to be used, the funds just aren't there at the moment. The City-Parish contract would have to be changed in order for that to happen.
“The drones have a great potential, and I think you know they will be more and more in use, and at some point in time, that’s going to be in the future, they could actually replace inspectors,” Stokes said.
There is a place in Louisiana that is already moving forward with drones used for spraying for mosquitoes. Officials in Ascension Parish are close to buying a drone worth between $5,000 to $8,000 that would be able to spray up to 20 pounds of chemicals at a time. The drone would be able to cover 80 acres in a day's work.
The drones won't replace the current resources of trucks and planes that spray to kill adult mosquitoes. Spraying the breeding grounds of mosquitoes is a great way to stop the problem. That's what the drones would help to do.