Backyard mosquito larval habitat availability and use as influenced by census tract determined resident income levels

One hundred and eighty premises in each of three distinct economic income levels within the urbanized area of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana were inspected for artificial containers producing mosquitoes. Census tracts, and their accompanying descriptive statistics were used to objectively quantify each of the income levels studied. Differences, presumably due to living conditions associated with income level, were found for the amount, type and condition of the containers encountered in each area, as well as between species composition and the extent of production. Overall, low income areas produced more mosquitoes than either of the other two areas, mainly as a result of the types of containers present.