The importance of mosquito control in coastal Louisiana parishes

Living in Cameron Parish for 14 years, from 1978 to 1992, taught me many valuable lessons about life in coastal Louisiana. One of the most important was just how essential mosquito control programs are to maintaining quality of life for all residents.

Mosquito control is about much more than reducing the annoyance of mosquito bites. It is also an important public-health service because mosquitoes can transmit diseases such as West Nile virus and other mosquito-borne illnesses.

In coastal Louisiana, where ideal mosquito habitat covers millions of acres of marshlands, effective mosquito control is especially important.

Most parish mosquito control programs are supported through property taxes approved by local voters. These programs are generally administered through mosquito control boards, whose members are appointed by the parish police jury or parish council. Their responsibility is to ensure that mosquito abatement services are operated professionally, efficiently and responsibly.

During my years in Cameron Parish, the mosquito control program employed a director who supervised the staff and operations. The parish maintained specialized mosquito-control trucks and aircraft used to apply approved insecticides in areas where mosquito populations were particularly heavy. These efforts provided residents with much-needed relief, especially during periods of extremely high mosquito activity.

A coastal Louisiana challenge

Many parishes in the southern third of Louisiana operate some form of organized mosquito control program. This is largely because of the vast coastal marshes that dominate the region, and the warm temperatures and abundant moisture that provide ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes.

Louisiana is home to numerous mosquito species, but the salt-marsh mosquitoes are among the most troublesome in coastal areas. In and near these marsh areas, mosquitos can emerge in enormous numbers. Their breeding cycles are closely associated with marsh conditions, rainfall and tidal activity.

What makes these mosquitoes particularly troublesome is their ability to travel considerable distances from their breeding grounds. Large mosquito populations can therefore affect residents well inland from the coast.

This is one reason mosquito control is not simply a coastal issue. Heavy rains, flooding and tropical storms can create ideal breeding conditions and produce tremendous mosquito populations in areas that normally do not experience severe problems. Parishes, like Avoyelles, north of the coast can suddenly find themselves dealing with mosquito swarms following major weather events like recently experienced tropical storm Arthur.

Life in Grand Chenier

I learned firsthand just how important mosquito control was while living in the rural community of Grand Chenier in southern Cameron Parish. At that time, our home was located directly across the highway from extensive salt marshes.

At dusk, mosquitoes would emerge from the marsh by the millions. It could become almost impossible to remain outdoors after sunset without being covered in mosquito repellent. Simply sitting outside and enjoying an evening was often out of the question.

I can still remember the sound of the mosquito control truck approaching our neighborhood. Rather than being annoyed by the noise, I welcomed it because I knew relief was on the way.

On several occasions, when the truck reached our home, I would go outside and ask the driver if he could back into our garage and give us an extra shot of spray. The results were almost unbelievable.

At dusk, the white walls of the garage would appear to turn black because they were covered with mosquitoes. Once the insecticide was applied, the mosquitoes would literally begin falling from the walls. Within minutes, the walls were white again—and, more importantly, we could once again enjoy being outside.

For anyone who has never experienced a major salt-marsh mosquito outbreak, this may sound exaggerated. But those of us who lived in coastal Louisiana know it is simply part of life.

Mosquitoes and Friday night football

Perhaps my most memorable mosquito-control experience occurred during Friday night football games at South Cameron High School in Creole, LA. Our family loved football, and our daughter was a cheerleader for the South Cameron Tarpons.

We were faithful supporters and rarely missed a game. The Tarpons had a proud football tradition and, for many years, were a highly competitive team that regularly contended for district and state playoff opportunities.

There was, however, one major problem with attending those games: the location of Tarpon Stadium. The stadium was situated across the highway from thousands of acres of salt marsh—prime mosquito habitat. Because the games were played at night, they coincided perfectly with the time when mosquitoes became most active.

Fans would arrive prepared, covering themselves with mosquito repellent before taking their seats. Unfortunately, personal mosquito spray could only do so much. As the evening progressed, swarms of mosquitoes would move out of the marsh and into the stadium. At times, the mosquito problem became almost unbearable.

Then came the cavalry...

The Cameron Parish Mosquito Control Program would often send its aircraft to treat the area around the stadium. I vividly remember hearing the mosquito-control plane approaching during football games. The aircraft would descend to a relatively low altitude and make passes over the stadium and the actual football field to apply mosquito-control spray.

The reaction from the crowd was priceless.

As soon as the plane appeared, fans knew that relief was coming. After the aircraft made its passes, the mosquito population would quickly diminish, making the remainder of the game much more enjoyable.

The crowd would cheer the plane and sometimes even give it a standing ovation. It was a humorous sight, but it also demonstrated how much residents appreciated the value of a responsive parish mosquito-control program!

A Changing Cameron Parish

Sadly, the South Cameron football tradition eventually changed. Varsity football competition at South Cameron High School ended in 2018, largely because of declining student enrollment following the devastating hurricanes that struck the area, including Rita, Ike and later Laura.

Many families relocated to Lake Charles or to communities located in the northern portion of Cameron Parish. Grand Lake High School to the north is now an important center of Cameron Parish community life, and the only parish high school that provides a varsity football program for students and families who moved north following these devastating hurricanes.

The return of varsity football to South Cameron High School remains a possibility, but it would require significant population growth and increased student enrollment.

A necessary public service

Louisiana residents love many things about our state—the people, the food, the outdoor recreational opportunities, our traditions and our unique culture. But living in Louisiana also means learning to deal with some of the challenges created by our climate and natural environment. For those of us who have lived along the Louisiana coast, mosquitoes are certainly one of those challenges.

Fortunately, effective mosquito-control programs have been developed and implemented in many Louisiana parishes. These programs provide an important public-health service while making everyday life more comfortable for residents.

My experiences with mosquitoes in Cameron Parish taught me that mosquito control is not simply a convenience. It is an essential part of maintaining a healthy and enjoyable quality of life in many coastal Louisiana communities. And during football season, it certainly made Friday nights under the lights much more enjoyable!

Those memories of watching our South Cameron Tarpons play football, hearing the mosquito-control plane approach and listening to the crowd cheer its arrival remain some of my fondest memories. They are also a reminder of how uniquely connected the people of Cameron Parish are to their environment—and how resourceful they have always been in dealing with its challenges.God bless the people of Cameron Parish.

Until next time,
Paul Coreil