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You are here: EPA Home Pesticides Health and Safety Mosquito Control Methods of Mosquito

Control

Methods of Mosquito Control

Este Web page está disponible en español

Current as of: April 2007

Controlling mosquitoes, and exposure to diseases they may carry, can

be done by chemical and non-chemical methods. Your first line of

defense begins at home.

On this page:

What you can do to control mosquitoes

Methods used by federal, state and local agencies

Where to get more information

What you can do to control mosquitoes around the home

Remove their habitat (where they live and breed)

Eliminate standing water in rain gutters, old tires, buckets, plastic covers, toys, or any

other container where mosquitoes can breed.

Empty and change the water in bird baths, fountains, wading pools, rain barrels, and

potted plant trays at least once a week to destroy potential mosquito habitats.

Drain or fill temporary pools of water with dirt.

Keep swimming pool water treated and circulating.

1.

Prevent your exposure to mosquitoes

Use EPA-registered mosquito repellents when necessary and follow label directions and

precautions closely.

Use head nets, long sleeves and long pants if you venture into areas with high

mosquito populations, such as salt marshes.

If there is a mosquito-borne disease warning in effect, stay inside during the evening

when mosquitoes are active.

Make sure window and door screens are "bug tight."

Replace your outdoor lights with yellow "bug" lights which tend to attract less

mosquitoes than ordinary lights. The yellow lights are NOT repellents, however.

2.

Neighborhoods are occasionally sprayed to prevent disease and nuisance caused by large mosquito

numbers. If you have any questions about mosquitoes and their control, contact your local mosquito

control district or health department.

Methods used by federal, state and local agencies in mosquito control.

Surveillance as First Step in Mosquito Control

The first step in mosquito control is surveillance. State or local mosquito specialists conduct

surveillance for diseases harbored by domestic and nonnative birds, including sentinel chickens

(used as virus transmission indicators), and mosquitoes. State and local mosquito control authorities

also conduct surveillance for larval habitats by using maps and aerial photographs, and by

evaluating larval populations. Other techniques include various light traps, biting counts, and

Pesticides: Mosquito Control

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analysis of reports from the public.

Mosquito control programs also put high priority on trying to prevent a large population of adult

mosquitoes from developing so that additional controls may not be necessary. Since mosquitoes

must have water to breed, methods of prevention may include:

controlling water levels in lakes, marshes, ditches, or other mosquito breeding sites;

eliminating small breeding sites if possible;

stocking bodies of water with fish species that feed on larvae.

Both chemical and biological measures may be employed to kill immature mosquitoes during larval

stages.

Chemical or Biological Measures to Control Mosquitoes

Controlling mosquitoes at the larval stage

Larvicides target larvae in the breeding habitat before they can mature into adult

mosquitoes and disperse. Larvicides include:

Bacterial Insecticides

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis

Bacillus sphaericus

Insect Growth Inhibitor

Methoprene

Organophosphate Insecticide

Temephos

Other Materials

Mineral oils

Monomolecular films

Oils and films disperse as a thin layer on the surface of the water which cause larvae

and pupae to drown. Liquid larvicide products are applied directly to water using

backpack sprayers and truck or aircraft-mounted sprayers. Tablet, pellet, granular, and

briquet formulations of larvicides are also applied by mosquito controllers to breeding

areas.

Controlling Adult Mosquitoes

Adult mosquito control may be undertaken to combat an outbreak of mosquito-borne

disease or a very heavy nuisance infestation of mosquitoes in a community. Pesticides

registered for this use are known as adulticides and are applied either by aircraft or on

the ground employing truck-mounted sprayers. State and local agencies commonly use

the organophosphate insecticides malathion and naled and the synthetic pyrethroid

insecticides permethrin, resmethrin, and sumithrin for adult mosquito control.

Mosquito adulticides are applied as ultra-low volume (ULV) sprays. ULV sprayers

dispense very fine aerosol droplets that stay aloft and kill flying mosquitoes on contact.

ULV applications involve small quantities of pesticide active ingredient in relation to the

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size of the area treated, typically less than 3 ounces per acre, which minimizes exposure

and risks to people and the environment.

Adulticides can be used for public health mosquito control programs without posing

unreasonable risks to the general population or to the environment when applied

according to the pesticide label. For more information on pesticides commonly-used in

public health mosquito control programs, see the specific fact sheets mentioned below.

Malathion for Mosquito Control

Larvicides for Mosquito Control

Naled for Mosquito Control

Permethrin, Resmethrin, Sumithrin (Synthetic Pyrethroids) for Mosquito Control

Where to Get More Information About Mosquito Control

For more information about mosquito control in your area, contact your state or local health

department. Other resources for information on public health, disease control, and mosquito control

include the following:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Tel: 970-221-6400

Fax: 970-221-6476

E-mail: dvbid@cdc.gov

Web site: http://www.cdc.gov

National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC)

Tel: 1-800-858-7378

E-mail: npic@ace.orst.edu

Web site: http://npic.orst.edu/

West Nile Virus Resource Guide: http://npic.orst.edu/wnv/

American Mosquito Control Association (AMCA)

Joseph M. Conlon, Technical Advisor

Tel/Fax: (904) 215-3008

E-mail: amcata@bellsouth.net

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