Fish will become our Navy to defend us from mosquitos

When we reflect on how beautiful St. Charles Parish is, we think about its great outdoors that Mother Nature has blessed with an abundance of trees, wild plants and wildlife.

But there is also an abundance of another item that is not so pleasant. Mosquitos.

A lot of standing water here has made the parish one of the top mosquito-infested areas in the state. And in addition to having to deal with hurricane season ahead, we are also faced with the year’s heaviest assault by the pests.

This year, St. Charles Mosquito Control is using a new technique to counteract their invasion. It is stocking standing water with a voracious fish known as Gambusia.

The female fish are reported to each consume up to 225 mosquito larvae in a one-hour period. They could be considered our Navy in defending us against alien attacks.

Residents with standing water in their areas can get Gambusia at the mosquito control office, 238 Scarpio St. in Hahnville. They should go a long way in helping to relieve the problem that lies ahead.

In addition, mosquito control will continue truck and aerial spraying of the parish and other methods of controlling the pests. Home owners can add to the defensive measures by employing systems that emit harmless sprays on a regular basis throughout the day.

The addition of Gambusia this year hopefully will make outdoor living in St. Charles more enjoyable than ever this summer. The natural beauty of this area is too great to let a little pest like the mosquito ruin it.

 

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