Mosquitoes

Report biting mosquitoes

Are mosquitoes biting you in or around your home? Submit a report HERE or call 650-344-8592 to report biting mosquitoes.

Smiling person in tan uniform attaching a mosquito trap (a red and white drink cooer with a small white PVC pipe and a bag made from netting) to a tree

Mosquito Surveillance Methods

A person standing in knee-deep water in a forest hold a mosquito dipper (long pole with a white cup on the end). The person peers into the cup to see if there are mosquito larvae. The person is wearing a tan uniform shirt, blue pants, and hip waders.

Mosquito Control

Controlling mosquitoes protects people from disease. The District controls mosquitoes through a program of integrated vector management (IVM).

Mosquito on a white background. The mosquito has an abdomen full of dark red blood. The mosquito is mainly black, with some white stripes on its legs.

Invasive Aedes aegypti

Invasive Aedes mosquitoes are not native to San Mateo County, California, or even North America. They do not belong in our ecosystems, and they can make people very uncomfortable because they bite during the day and even bite indoors. More importantly, they are a risk to human health because they can carry diseases that make people very sick, like Zika, chikungunya, dengue, and yellow fever.

Blue and yellow circle outline showing the many steps of the mosquito lifecycle. On the right is an egg raft containing many small brown eggs, then moving down and to the left are four stages of larvae, which are long and thin. On the left side is a pupae, which is round with a large eye spot and a short tail, moving up and to the right is a mosquito emerging from the pupae, and then a fully grown adult mosquito.

FAQS about MOSQUITOES

Mosquitoes find you by warmth, body odor, and the carbon dioxide (CO2) on your breath. Some people are more attractive to mosquitoes than others; this is mostly genetic.

Side view of an adult and a child. The adult is holding a spray bottle and spraying the arm of the child. The child has a yellow short-sleeve shirt.

Preventing Mosquito Bites

Mosquito bites are annoying and can transmit diseases. There are steps you can take to prevent mosquito bites, like using an EPA-registered repellent, dressing in long pants and sleeves, and avoiding activities during certain parts of the day.

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