Aerial spraying for mosquitos set for today

Ascension Parish President Tommy Martinez announced Tuesday that two contracted planes will spray the parish for mosquitoes Wednesday evening.

Contractor Vector Disease Control Inc. is sending two planes from their Oakdale location to begin spaying around dusk and should finish covering the parish in about four hours, officials said.

“Spraying at dusk is the optimum time for this type of operation,” said David Matassa, director of the parish’s Mosquito Control Department. “We just wanted the parish residents to know this will be taking place in case they are concerned about low-flying aircraft in their area.”

Matassa also said that the parish is coverting the cost of the spraying, but will be reimbursed for 75 percent of the cost by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and 25 percent from state government.

We are spraying just over 100,000 residential acres at $1.79 an acre. He said the total is an estimated value and could be less depending on product used.

Matassa said his department was required to conduct landing rate counts, meaning areas were monitored for the amount of mosquitoes landing. That info was provided to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals before this contract could be enacted.

The aerial spraying is a one-time application, Matassa said.

If weather conditions change by Wednesday evening that would prevent the aerial spraying, Matassa said, it would be rescheduled.