Removing stagnant water and eliminating sources that can hold water is the most effective and pesticide-free way to prevent mosquitoes in your yard and home.

Follow these steps to make your home mosquito-free.

• Clean up clutter in the yard. Invasive Aedes are ‘container breeders’ and will lay their eggs in toys, soda cans, and even trash.
• Check yards carefully for anything that will collect rain or sprinkler water. 
• Do not grow plants in water-filled buckets or vases - even indoors.
• Remove saucers from under potted plants.
• Remove bromeliads and other plants that naturally hold water from your landscape. Always water bromeliads from the bottom of the plant.
• Scrub outdoor containers that have held water with hot, soapy water to kill mosquito eggs. Store in a dry place.
• Talk to your neighbors – mosquito control is a shared responsibility
• Aplly an EPA registered insect repellent to exposed skin when outdoors. 
• Utilize an Insect fogger to eliminate adult mosquitoes.  These can be found at local home improvement and garden centers.

Common Mosquito Breeding Sources:

Aedes mosquitoes will lay their eggs water-holding plants, such as Bromeliads.

The Aedes mosquitoes will lay their eggs on the stalks of Lucky bamboo. The eggs can remain dormant for several of years and will hatch when water is present and the conditions are right.

The circled specks are Aedes eggs.

Inspectors constantly find Aedes larvae and pupae in buckets.

Inspectors constantly find Aedes larvae and pupae in flowerpot saucers.

Maintain water flow in ornamental ponds, or place mosquitofish to prevent mosquito breeding.

Fountains are also a popular breeding source among mosquitoes. Place mosquitofish in fountains to prevent mosquitoes from breeding.

The specks in this rain barrel are mosquito larvae and pupae. Ensure that rain barrels have tightly fitted screens to prevent mosquitoes from entering the barrel.