As the weather continues to heat up, the Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District joins public health officials, agencies and cities statewide to promote California Mosquito Awareness Week from April 17 through April 23. This statewide campaign raises awareness about the public health threat mosquitoes pose to our communities and encourages residents to prevent mosquito breeding year-round.

How You Can Help
Mosquitoes are the most dangerous creature in the world and kill over one million people worldwide every year because they can transmit debilitating or sometimes deadly viruses like malaria, West Nile virus and dengue with just a bite.

All Los Angeles County residents play an important role in protecting their community. Mosquito control is a shared responsibility and residents can take simple steps to reduce them in their neighborhood.
Make sure there is no standing water on your property. It takes only a teaspoon of standing water for mosquitoes to breed hundreds of mosquitoes.

Do-It-Yourself Solutions

Mosquitoes can lay eggs in the smallest places, even a bottle cap. The best method to reduce breeding on your property is to limit the number of potential sources. Inspect around and inside your home for potential breeding sources. If standing water is found, remove the source. If the source cannot be removed, check weekly for standing water to prevent mosquito breeding. Remember to look for mosquito sources every week and after rain events. Download the do-it-yourself checklist by visiting Mosquito Solutions.

Harvest Water, Not Mosquitoes

If residents need to store water in rain barrels, buckets, or other similar containers for longer than a week, these steps should be taken to ensure they are mosquito-proof:

Cover all water-filled containers with tightly fitted lids.

Screen all openings (overflows, openings in the lid), including roof and floor gutters with a 1/16-inch fine mesh to keep mosquitoes out.

Use collected water right away and empty rain barrels completely between rain events.

Use mosquito bits if you must keep stagnant water for more than five days.

Learn more by going to Rain Barrel Upkeep.

Repel, Don’t Swell

Remember to wear insect repellent to protect your health. The CDC recommends using repellents with active ingredients such as DEET, Picaridin, IR3535 or Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus. It is extremely important to wear insect repellent when you travel abroad as well, especially when visiting subtropical and tropical regions.

Visit Repellant Info for more information.

Join Mosquito Watch

Mosquito Watch is a neighborhood program designed to protect your community from mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases. With guidance from mosquito experts and your leadership, you can help motivate your neighbors to act, and reduce mosquito breeding and disease transmission in your neighborhood. Visit Mosquito Watch for additional information.

Join the #TwitterSpace Conversation

Join the #TwitterSpace discussion on Prepare for the Mosquito Season Thursday, April 21 at 11 a.m. The panel of expects will discuss topics from properly treating mosquito bites, how vector control districts are preparing for the mosquito season and what residents can do to protect themselves from mosquitoes within their community. Join us on Twitter @GLAmosquito.