Students at Jennings Elementary School are learning about mosquito prevention and how to reduce the risks of mosquito-borne diseases.

About 30 volunteers from the Louisiana Mosquito Control Association presented an educational program on mosquitoes to students in grades 3-6 on Tuesday at Jennings Elementary School.

The students learned about mosquito control programs, mosquito biology and disease prevention by visiting several hands-on stations presented by LMCA volunteers from throughout the state.

“We want to share demonstrations on the techniques we use to try to control and prevent mosquitoes,” LMCA Vice-President and Jeff Davis Parish Mosquito Abatement District 1 Assistant Director Heath Deese said. “We want to try to get the kids to help us control the mosquito population by monitoring their own backyards.”

Among the preventive measures, Deese said students can empty and remove containers of standing water in their backyards, use repellent when they are outdoors and bring their dogs and horses to the vet to make sure they are vaccinated to stop the spread of disease.

The students enjoyed hands-on learning about mosquitoes including mosquito larvae and learning about the life cycle of mosquitoes from the egg to adult. The students also enjoyed an up-close look at traps, vehicles and equipment used to study and help control the mosquito population.

Renee Pellerin, assistant director of Iberia Parish Mosquito Abatement District, said the program’s goal is to motivate the students to be more aware of their surroundings and how to protect themselves whether it is wearing repellent or long sleeves when they are outdoors and to remove stagnant water that breeds mosquitoes.

Jill Hightower of Calcasieu Parish Mosquito Control and Cynthia Harrison of the New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control District helped teach the students about the ecology of where mosquitoes grow and how they grow with the life cycle. They also showed some mosquito predators, like turtles, which feed off mosquitoes.

“One turtle can eat over 3,500 mosquito larvae in 24 hours,” Harrison said. “They help us fight the mosquitoes without using pesticides.”

Fish, dragonflies, bats, beetles and spiders are among other predators that eat mosquitoes and influence their population around the globe.

Wayne Landry of Jeff Davis Parish Mosquito Abatement District 1 explained how pesticide application equipment is used to spray for mosquitoes throughout the parish, including a UTV which is used to spray when trucks cannot get up close, around or behind buildings.