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Invasive Mosquitoes

What Are Invasive Mosquitoes?

Invasive mosquitoes are not native to the United States and can carry tropical diseases. They breed in standing water around your garden and home, bite during the day, and can carry chikungunya, dengue fever, West Nile virus, yellow fever, and other diseases (like dog heartworm). 

Mosquito eggs can survive out of water for months, and need a fraction of an ounce of water to hatch.

Invasive Mosquitoes in Santa Barbara County
  • Yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) was identified for the first time in Fall 2020. (press release)
  • Southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) carrying West Nile virus was trapped for the first time in three years in Fall 2020. (press release)
  • Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) has not yet been identified in Santa Barbara County.
Stop the Spread

"Fight the Bite!" Follow the "Three D's":

  • Deet – Use Deet or other repellents approved by the Environmental Protection Agency
  • Dawn and Dusk – Avoid being outside at these times when the mosquitoes are most active;
  • Drain – Empty all sources of stagnant water that mosquitoes will lay their eggs in, including buckets, bird baths, clogged rain gutters, old tires, containers of all kinds, unused hot tubs, etc.

-Mosquito and Vector Management District of Santa Barbara County, October 27, 2020

Reduce mosquito breeding habitat

Image source: California Department of Public Health "Invasive Mosquitoes" brochure

CDPH house diagram

For more information on how to prevent mosquito problems and who to contact when you have one, check out this brochure and photos from the Santa Barbara County Mosquito and Vector Management District.