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Mosquito Control Methods
There are steps you can take to reduce mosquito populations without using insecticides. Here are some tips to consider when trying to avoid mosquito bites:
- Empty water from containers such as flower pots, birdbaths, pet water dishes, cans, gutters, tires and buckets regularly to disrupt the mosquito breeding cycle.
- Keep windows and door screens in good working order to prevent mosquitoes from entering your home.
- If possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants while outdoors, consider staying indoors early in the morning and evening when mosquitoes are most active.
- Maintain your swimming pool to prevent mosquito breeding, and report abandoned pools to your local health department.
- Use mosquito netting over infants carriers when infants are outdoors.
- Consider using an insect repellent, be sure to follow the label directions for applying the repellent. For help selecting a mosquito repellent, try our Insect Repellent Locator.
Insecticides can also be used to help control mosquitoes. Some products are designed to be applied directly to water to control mosquito larvae, while others are used more broadly to control adult mosquitoes. Some community agencies provide mosquito control as a service to the public and may apply pesticides by trucks or planes. Visit the links below to get more information about how to control mosquitoes.
Eliminating Mosquitoes in Your Environment
- Mosquito Control - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Mosquitoes - University of California Extension Service
- Repellent Wars - University of Florida IFAS
- Mosquito Control Devices and Services for Florida Homeowners - University of Florida Extension Service
- Carbon Dioxide Mosquito Traps No Magic Bullet - University of Florida News
- Mosquito Traps - American Mosquito Control Association
- Pesticides Used In Mosquito Control - NPIC
- Permethrin Treated Clothing - NPIC
- Community Agencies that Manage Public Health Pests - NPIC
Automatic Misting Systems
- Outdoor Residential Misting Systems - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Fact Sheet
- Position Statement on Mosquito Misting Systems - American Mosquito Control Association
Ultrasonic Mosquito Devices
- Do ultrasonic devices work? - American Mosquito Control Association
- Integrated Mosquito Management: Sonic and Electronic Devices - University of Wisconsin
- Mosquito Pest Management Bulletin 641: Repelling Devices and Plants - Ohio State University Extension
Community Mosquito Control Efforts
To find out whether or not your community sprays for mosquitoes, try contacting your community agency managing public health pests or local health department.
Fogging and Aerial Applications
- Pesticides Used In Mosquito Control - NPIC
- Adult Mosquito Control Programs, Final Environmental Impact Statement - New York City Department of Health
- What Should I Do During Mosquito Spraying? - NPIC, Common Pesticide Questions
- Pesticides and Public Health: Integrated Methods of Mosquito Management - Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- A Human-Health Risk Assessment for West Nile Virus and Insecticides Used in Mosquito Management - Environmental Health Perspectives 114:3, 2006
- Mosquito Control and Exposure to Pesticides, Virginia and North Carolina, 2003 - Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)
- Residue studies of ULV applications of permethrin in parks - Saginaw County Mosquito Abatement Commission
- Questions About Pesticide Exposure - Extension Toxicology Network
Resources for Community Mosquito Control/Vector Control
- Community Agencies that Manage Public Health Pests - NPIC
- Joint Statement on Mosquito Control in the United States from the EPA and the CDC - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Mosquito Control - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- American Mosquito Control Association
- Pesticides Used In Mosquito Control - NPIC
Return to Mosquito Information
If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 1-800-858-7378 (7:30am-3:30pm PST), or email at npic@ace.orst.edu.
