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NEWS
Mosquitoes Causing Problems for Livestock Owners
September 10, 2020
Baton Rouge, LA (September 10, 2020) – An increase in mosquitoes following Hurricane Laura is causing problems for livestock owners.
“What we are seeing are swarms of mosquitoes that are preying on exhausted and stressed livestock,” said Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M. “While parishes are spraying to mitigate the problem, I also urge livestock owners to spray their pastures or use products that can be applied to the animals,” added Strain.
Those products must be used according to label instructions. If used on a food-producing animal, it must be approved for that species. Nutritional supplements should be given under the direction of a veterinarian; and, the use of fans to keep the pests away is also beneficial.
Typically, mosquito-borne diseases such as Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) and West Nile Virus (WNV), which mostly impact horses, can be fought by vaccinating the animals. In this situation, it seems to be a number of factors. Swarms of mosquitoes, combined with environmentally stressed livestock that cannot escape the pests, are causing problems for livestock and their owners.