Mosquito Control: What You Need to Know About Outdoor Spraying
Mosquitoes can spread germs that make people sick. They bite day and night and live indoors and outdoors. If you have mosquitoes outside your home, spraying an insecticide may reduce the number of mosquitoes and your chances of being bitten by an infected mosquito.
Select and use outdoor insect spray products
Read product labels and choose one that kills mosquitoes.
Outdoor insect spray products are available as:
• Foggers or aerosols: These products are used to kill mosquitoes in the air.
• Sprays: These products are applied to surfaces where mosquitoes rest. Mosquitoes die when they come into contact with these surfaces.
Always follow the product label instructions. Do not apply more product than directed or reapply more often than stated on product label instructions.
Treat areas where mosquitoes rest
Mosquitoes rest in cool, dark, humid places in your yard. Treat areas where they rest including in sheds and children’s playhouses, and under decks, furniture, playground equipment, and thick vegetation. Do not treat flowering plants.
Additional steps to control mosquitoes outdoors
Outdoor spraying alone will not keep your yard free of mosquitoes. Follow these additional steps to help reduce the number of mosquitoes outside your home:
Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out any items that hold water, like flowerpot saucers, birdbaths, toys, buckets, and trash containers.
Regularly mow your lawn and cut down weeds near your house.
Keep rain barrels tightly covered or screened.
Keep rain gutters clean.
Information on Insecticides and Health:
The US Environmental Protection Agency oversees the registration of these chemicals.
The National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) provides information online or through a toll-free number, 1-800-858-7378.