Mosquito Awareness Week is a good reminder that effective mosquito control is a community effort — and it starts in your own yard. Even if your neighbors aren’t taking action, the steps you take on your property can dramatically reduce the mosquito pressure you and your family experience.
The Bay Area Mosquito Threat
Not all mosquito species are equal in terms of risk. In the Bay Area and surrounding counties, two groups are most significant:
Culex mosquitoes — Active at dusk and dawn, breed in stagnant water, and are the primary vector of West Nile virus in California. Cases have been confirmed in Marin, Sonoma, and Contra Costa counties.
Aedes mosquitoes (especially Aedes aegypti) — Aggressive daytime biters. Breed in tiny amounts of water. Associated with dengue and Zika transmission in endemic regions and spreading north in California.
Your Mosquito Awareness Week Checklist
- Walk your entire yard and empty or dispose of anything holding standing water
- Check gutters — clean if holding debris and water
- Change bird bath water and pet water dishes twice weekly
- Turn over or store any containers that collect rainwater (buckets, wheelbarrows, tarps)
- Check plant saucers and empty them after watering
- Treat ornamental ponds with mosquito dunks (Bti — a biological larvicide safe for fish and wildlife)
- Repair any low spots in your yard that pool after rain or irrigation
When You Need Professional Help
If you’ve addressed standing water sources and mosquito activity remains high, a professional assessment can identify breeding sources you may have missed and apply targeted, IPM-based treatment. ATCO serves the Bay Area, Sonoma, and Marin counties. Contact us to schedule a mosquito evaluation.