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Ascension to begin aerial mosquito spraying

7 years 5 months 4 weeks ago Wednesday, September 28 2016 Sep 28, 2016 September 28, 2016 2:38 PM September 28, 2016 in News
Source: WBRZ

GONZALES - Ascension Parish will begin spraying for mosquitoes from an airplane.

Parish government announced Wednesday, aerial spraying will begin in the coming days.  Flooding and subsequent rain storms have left pooling water that breed mosquitoes.  The bugs are becoming a growing problem.  Already, Baton Rouge has increased spraying operations from the air along the EBR-Ascension Parish line.

Ascension has been spraying from ground-level equipment seven nights a week.

Each pass of the plane will cost about $80,000.  Officials said the breakdown costs about $2.13 for each of the 37,450 acres.   FEMA could reimburse costs at a 90% rate.

Data collected from traps throughout the parish indicate a high population of mosquitoes in Lake Martin, St. Amant, Sorrento, northwest Prairieville, Dutchtown, and Geismar. These areas will be targeted first and most heavily, but officials stressed the entire parish will be treated.

Currently there are no reports from the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals of any human domestic cases of the Zika virus or the West Nile virus in Ascension.

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