No. 029 · mosquito · Risk: Moderate
Aedes Mosquito
Aedes spp.
In season · SeptemberSouthwestSoutheastPacific West
- Field tell
- Black-and-white striped legs; aggressive daytime biter, often around standing water in containers.
- Why it matters
- Can transmit dengue, Zika, chikungunya in the southern US and territories; also a nuisance biter.
- Habitat
- Urban and suburban standing water — flowerpots, buckets, tires — as well as trailheads.
- Season
- Warm months; some species active year-round in South Florida and the Gulf Coast.
MOSQUITO BITES
Preventing mosquito-borne illness
- Use an EPA-registered insect repellent on skin.
- Treat clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin (never apply permethrin directly to skin).
- Wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active.
- Empty or avoid standing water near camps and trailheads where mosquitoes breed.
Not medical advice. Call 911 or Poison Control 1-800-222-1222.
Related mosquitos
- Culex Mosquito — Common brown mosquito, active mainly at dusk and after dark; breeds in any standing water.
- Anopheles Mosquito — Rests with tail tilted up; the historic malaria vector, still present in the southern US.