Keep screens in shape
Check window and door screens for tears each spring, and make sure they're fully seated in their frames.
For homeowners & renters
Resident's Guide to Mosquito Control
LMCD treats public breeding sites across five zones, but most mosquitoes bothering you at home hatch a few feet from your door. Here's what you can do on your own property.
Start here
Empty standing water every few days
A mosquito can complete its entire life cycle, egg to biting adult, in about a week during warm weather, in water no deeper than a bottle cap. Walk your property after rain or watering and tip out anything that's collected water.
- Old tires
- Tarps & covers
- Flowerpots & saucers
- Buckets & cans
- Boats & canoes
- Kiddie pools
- Clogged gutters
- Bird baths
- Rain barrels
- Wheelbarrows
- Low spots in the yard
- Unused pools & hot tubs
For water you can't empty
Treat it instead
Some water features are worth keeping — rain barrels, ornamental ponds, unused pools you're not ready to drain. For those, larvicide products containing Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. israelensis) are sold at most hardware and garden stores as "mosquito dunks" or granules.
It's the same active ingredient LMCD uses district-wide, formulated for backyard-scale use. Always follow the product label — it will tell you application rates and whether it's rated for water used by pets, wildlife, or fish.
Not sure if it's safe for your situation?
If you have questions about a specific product, the National Pesticide Information Center can help.
Ask NPIC →
Beyond water
Make your yard less inviting
Trim tall grass & brush
Adult mosquitoes rest in shaded, overgrown vegetation during the day. Regular mowing and trimming removes daytime cover.
Run a fan on the patio
Mosquitoes are weak fliers. A steady breeze across a porch or patio makes it much harder for them to land.
When you're outside
Protect yourself directly
Repellent
Use an EPA-registered insect repellent and follow the label directions. Common active ingredients include DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon eucalyptus (PMD). Reapply as directed, especially after swimming or heavy sweating.
Clothing & timing
Long sleeves and pants cut down on exposed skin. Permethrin-treated clothing and gear adds another layer of protection (it's applied to fabric, not skin). Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, so plan outdoor work and gatherings accordingly when activity is high.
Division of labor
What LMCD handles vs. what's on you
LMCD scouts and treats known public breeding sites and roadside drainage across the district's five treatment zones — see the Treatment Map & Zones for coverage. Standing water on private property is the homeowner's responsibility to find and eliminate; it's usually the biggest source of mosquitoes right around your own home.
Noticing a public site we may have missed, like a flooded ditch, a neglected pool, or standing water in a park? Let us know.
Report a Mosquito ProblemPrefer we skip your property?
If you'd rather LMCD flag your address as a preference for our field team, join the No-Spray List.
Join the No-Spray List →