Pest guide: mosquitoes
MosquitoControl.
Evenings on the patio should not mean getting eaten alive, and in more and more of California, neither should afternoons. Mosquitoes breed in small pockets of standing water and hide in shady plants. We target both, so your yard is yours again.
Know your enemy
The mosquitoes you'll seeOut West.
Invasive Aedes
Small, black, with bright white stripes on the back and legs. Bites during the day, often around the ankles. Now found in more than two dozen California counties, including LA, Orange, San Diego, Sacramento and the Bay Area.
House mosquitoes
Plain brown and very common in town. Breed in storm drains, gutters, neglected pools and anything that holds water. Bite mostly at dusk and dawn and carry West Nile virus.
Western encephalitis mosquito
Dark with white bands on its legs. Common around farms and open land, especially in the Central Valley and Utah. A main carrier of West Nile virus.
Heads upWest Nile virus is the most common serious mosquito-borne disease in California and Utah. Most people who catch it never feel sick, and only a small number get seriously ill, but people over 50 are at higher risk. Invasive Aedes mosquitoes can also spread dengue, and California has had a few locally spread cases in recent years. Avoiding bites, especially from summer into fall, is worth the effort.
Why they move in
What brings themInside.
Only female mosquitoes bite. They need blood to make eggs, and they lay those eggs on standing water. Water that sits for more than a few days can produce new mosquitoes in about a week, so a forgotten bucket, a plant saucer or a clogged gutter can keep a whole yard supplied. Invasive Aedes need only a bottle cap of water, and their eggs stick to the sides of containers, waiting for the next fill.
Worst summer into early fall
The Redwood way
How we handleMosquitoes.
Walk the yard
We look for the standing water mosquitoes breed in and the shady, leafy spots where they rest during the day.
Stop them breeding
We help you get rid of standing water, and treat water features that cannot be drained with products that stop larvae from becoming biting adults.
Treat where they rest
We treat the shrubs, hedges and shady plants around your home where adult mosquitoes hide during the day.
Keep it up all season
Mosquitoes keep coming as long as the weather is warm, so regular treatments through the season keep your yard usable.
Our promise: if they come back between scheduled visits, so do we, at no extra charge.
Get a free quoteYour part
What you can doBetween visits.
- Walk your yard once a week and dump out anything holding water
- Scrub out containers and plant saucers: Aedes eggs stick to the sides
- Clean clogged gutters and keep pools and spas maintained
- Change the water in birdbaths and pet bowls every few days
- Fix torn window and door screens
- Use an EPA-registered repellent like DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus
Small habits. Fewer bad guys.
Straight answers
Mosquito questionsWe get a lot.
Doesn’t my city or county already handle mosquitoes?
Your local mosquito and vector control district (in Utah, the mosquito abatement district) watches for West Nile virus, treats public breeding sites, and handles things like neglected pools and creeks. Many also give out free mosquitofish for ponds. They cannot treat the containers and shady shrubs in your own yard, and that is where we come in.
Why am I getting bitten during the day?
Probably invasive Aedes mosquitoes, which bite during the day, often around the ankles and on shady patios. They breed in tiny amounts of water close to the house, so dumping and scrubbing containers makes a big difference.
Who do I call about a green pool next door?
Your local vector control district. Neglected pools can produce huge numbers of mosquitoes, and districts respond to these reports.
Are the treatments safe for my kids and pets?
We use EPA-registered products applied according to their labels, and your technician will tell you when it is fine for kids and pets to be back in the treated areas.
Know your enemy
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We'll take it from here.
Pests don't stand a chance.