Fire ants can be a serious problem after hurricanes – particularly in flooded areas, according to experts with the LSU AgCenter.

With hundreds of square miles of standing water in flooded areas, mosquitoes are expected to be rampant in Southeast Louisiana in the days ahead.

Rumors about mosquito-borne diseases are floating around almost as much as the floodwaters in New Orleans, according entomologists with the LSU AgCenter, who say precaution rather than panic should prevail.

My home was infested with rats after the hurricane. I picked up quite a few dead rats in the house and in the attic. I am concerened about dead decaying rats in the walls and attic insulation. Can you tell me what to do?

Cleaning up wood debris after a hurricane or other severe windstorm can spread one of Louisiana’s most destructive pests – the Formosan subterranean termite.

Certain insect problems increase dramatically after flooding, windstorms and other disasters, according to entomologists with the LSU AgCenter.

The rains brought on by hurricanes and tropical storms can lead to more mosquitoes. That means Louisiana residents have even more reasons to protect themselves from mosquito bites and the diseases mosquitoes can carry if storms head our way.