No. 018 · mosquito · Risk: Moderate
Culex Mosquito
Culex spp.
In season · SeptemberSouthwestSoutheastNortheast / Mid-AtlanticMidwest / PlainsPacific WestAlaska
- Field tell
- Common brown mosquito, active mainly at dusk and after dark; breeds in any standing water.
- Why it matters
- Primary US vector for West Nile virus; most bites cause no illness.
- Habitat
- Standing water sources — puddles, gutters, containers — near trails and campsites.
- Season
- Active late spring through fall, mainly from dusk through night.
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
- Aedes Mosquito — Black-and-white striped legs; aggressive daytime biter, often around standing water in containers.
- Anopheles Mosquito — Rests with tail tilted up; the historic malaria vector, still present in the southern US.