Water Utilities

What is the City doing?

With the onset of the West Nile Virus outbreak in 2000, the City recognized the need to implement a program to assist with the identification and control of mosquito infestations. While mostly a matter of annoyance in the past, the spread of the West Nile Virus has forced us to be proactive in helping the citizens of Ruston protect themselves. To accomplish this, the City investigated various means of vector control, and ultimately contracted the professional service to Vector Disease Control, Inc. (VDCI), to serve in this capacity.

First and foremost in the fight to control mosquito populations is the need to eliminate breeding and living areas that mosquitos frequent. We have all heard it said that as little as a soda cap of water can provide a breeding ground for mosquitos, and it’s true! Ninety per-cent of mosquito populations can be eliminated by proper house keeping in and around yards and residences, which means we need each others help. The City is also helping by cleaning up public areas that are identified as possible mosquito breeding sites, and by enforcing City codes for litter and standing water problems.

VDCI works with City personnel and citizens to control mosquito populations by performing the following finctions:

• Collecting and trapping mosquitoes at many locations citywide. This helps to identify problem areas, and to understand which of the pesticides work best from year to year.
• Collecting dead birds and submitting them for testing. However, since the spread of the West Nile Virus has now been confirmed from coast to coast, continuing to track the virus through the bird population does not provide any additional information over testing the actual mosquito population.
• Monitoring known breeding sites and applying larvicide to control mosquitos in their infant stages.
• Checking identified locations from citizen complaints and applying larvicide or adulticide where needed.
• Lastly, and ONLY WHEN NECESSARY, conducting an adulticide spray program to kill mosquito populations during active hours. A truly effective mosquito control program will not require as much spray activity, because controlling the mosquitos where they live and breed is much more effective than depending on the mosquitos “flying into the poison.”

Remember, keep it clean, keep it simple, keep it safe.

VDCI can be contacted at 318-254-2083.

Mosquito control brochure