Mosquito Control Begins At Home

The tiger mosquito is a very aggressive day-biting mosquito, which has become a serious pest in parts of Maryland. The City’s mosquito control program cannot adequately control this species due to its habits. It breeds in containers in yards, which we cannot treat, and nighttime spray operations are not very effective for the tiger mosquito because it rests in sheltered areas that the spray will not reach.

Reduce mosquito annoyance in your backyard and in your neighborhood by eliminating sites around the outside of the house that serve as a habitat for mosquito larvae. All mosquito larvae need standing water to develop. As little as one-half inch of water in a discarded can or container will support dozens of mosquitoes.

Did You Know?

• Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a tablespoon of standing water.
• The flight range for tiger mosquitoes is only 100 yards.
• The tiger mosquito is very small with white stripes.
• Adult mosquitoes only live for one to two weeks.
• It takes no longer than two weeks for mosquito eggs to become adults.
• The only way to successfully beat the tiger mosquito is to eliminate breeding sites in your yard.

Places in Your Yard Could be Breeding the Tiger Mosquito

Birdbaths (change water weekly) Buckets, cans, or bottles Canoes or boats (stored right-side up) Clogged gutters Kiddie pools Pet water dishes

Tarps over log piles, equipment, etc. Tire casings Trash cans without lids (or lids themselves, if upside down) Wheelbarrows or watering cans

Keep grass short and brush cut back to limit areas where adult mosquitoes can rest. Stock ornamental ponds with fish that will eat mosquito larvae. For more information, please call the Maryland Department of Agriculture at 301-422-5080 or to report standing water or drainage issues on City maintained properties call (301) 809-2344. 

Spraying Your Yard

If you choose to regularly spray your yard for the Asian Tiger Mosquito, you need to purchase the correct pesticide from a hardware store or a professional pest control agency. Make sure that what you choose is labeled for the treatment of mosquitoes.

There are many different brand names that will work. Some of the active ingredients to look for on the label which work well against Asian Tigers are Resmethrin, Permethrin, and Pyrethrin, - these are just suggestions, there are others that will work. Adult Asian Tigers spend most of the time resting in bushes, ivy, tall grass, under decks, and in other shady, sheltered areas. Concentrate treatment in these areas. Although they are active all day, Asian Tigers seem to be most active around dusk, therefore, this is the best time to treat.