Controlling Mosquitoes and Preventing Bites
The most effective way to control mosquitoes is to eliminate or treat the standing water where mosquitoes lay their eggs and larvae live and grow. If mosquitoes are a problem where you live, make sure that you are not providing breeding sites in your own yard. Mosquitoes prefer to breed in all sorts of still water held in artificial containers. Running streams and creeks with any movement or ponds with predators such as fish, frogs, or dragonflies are not good breeding sites for mosquitoes. Remember, mosquitoes need only a few tablespoons of water to breed.
Click here to download a copy of Flip It! Dump It! Kick It! Eliminate Standing Water! This brochure contains mosquito tips, including what you can do to control mosquitoes around your home. If you would like to obtain copies of this brochure to distribute to groups such as a gardening club or homeowners association, please contact our West Nile Virus Specialist. Contact information is available by clicking on the Contact Us link located on the left side bar of this Web page.
How to eliminate mosquito breeding areas on your property:
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Turn over or remove containers in your yard where rainwater collects, such as potted plant trays, buckets, or toys.
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Empty and clean birdbaths once a week.
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Remove old tires from your yard and dispose of them properly.
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Clean roof gutters and downspout screens.
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Eliminate standing water on flat roofs, boats, and tarps.
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Puddles and clogged ditches on your property can also be important mosquito breeding habitats.
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Clear obstructions in ditches so they flow and drain. Fill in puddles with soil, or a mixture of sand and gravel, or dig drainage ditches to drain puddles.
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If puddles or ditches cannot be drained or filled in, treat standing water with mosquito larvicides (dunks or granules) that can be purchased at any hardware store.
In addition to eliminating potential breeding sites, use the following precautions to avoid mosquito bites:
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Wear long, loose and light-colored clothing when outside in areas with lots of mosquitoes and during times when mosquitoes are biting (dawn, early evening, and dusk are the times of day when most mosquito species like to bite).
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Keep biting mosquitoes out of your home by insuring that your doors and windows have effective and well-maintained screens.
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Use insect repellent products registered with EPA � Insect Repellent Safety
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DEET: with no more than 50% for adults, and less than 30% for children
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Picaridin
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Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus
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Use care when applying repellents to children. Follow all label instructions when using insect repellents.
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Use permethrin on clothing as a mosquito repellent. Caution: Permethrin is an insecticide and should not be used on bare skin. Only use Permethrin products that have label instructions for treatment of clothing or other fabrics.
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Apply permethrin to mosquito nets, tents, and shoes when camping or spending time in the woods.
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Consider staying indoors when mosquitoes are biting.
