• Physical Control- Drain insect repellent can provide relief. cleaning and other habitat To make sure you are not breeding modification projects reduce mosquitoes, empty or change The Overwintering or eliminate mosquito containers holding water weekly, breeding. clean drainage courses to ensure Mosquito • Biological Control- The moving water, and stock mosquito-eating fish impoundments with mosquito-eating Anopheles Gambusia affinis is planted in fish. many impoundments and freeborni waterways. A single fish may Follow label directions on any consume over a hundred commercial pesticides carefully. mosquito larvae in one day. • Chemical Applications- “Soft For more information contact: pesticides” are applied which control only mosquito larvae Shasta Mosquito and Vector and leave non-target organisms unaffected. Control District 19200 Latona Road The Districts aim is to control this Anderson, CA 96007 mosquito (along with other species) (530) 365-3768 This over-wintering pest is a fairly when it is confined to the water as shastamosquito.org large, brown mosquito with long legs larvae. Controlling the flying adults [email protected] and dark spots on each wing. It is a would be ineffective and costly vicious biter and enters houses since they are dispersed throughout readily. This mosquito is found a larger geographical area. throughout most of California and is What You Can Do a severe pest in rice growing areas. Anopheles freeborni was involved in the malaria epidemics during the On warm, sunny days, only screened windows and doors should be late 1800’s and early 1900’s in opened. Keep screens in good northern California. repair. If mosquitoes do get inside your house, they may be found The Facts: resting on walls, under sinks, in closets, etc. Use a commercial While cold winter weather kills most insect spray and/or or swat them kinds of adult mosquitoes, the adult dead. Personal application of an female Anopheles freeborni

hibernates during these months. courses. surface to breathe through a pair of openings called spiracles. Unlike other Shasta Mosquito and mosquito larva, Anopheles lie Vector Control horizontally just below the surface of the water. During this stage, the mosquito Biologist John sheds its skin four times. After only a few Albright aspirating days the larva becomes a pupa. for Anopheles

. freeborni in a culvert Pupa

The pupa now breathes through two tubes on its back. The mosquito grows inside the pupa and in a few days it splits the pupal skin and emerges as an adult. Adult In the fall these mosquitoes disperse several miles from their breeding sources Mosquito Life Cycle to seek shelter in protected places, such as attics and outbuildings. They are The development time from egg to often a nuisance at this time. adult requires approximately three A warming trend in January or February weeks. sounds a wake-up-call to these Eggs The newly emerged adult rests on the mosquitoes. They are extremely hungry surface of the water until it is strong and are looking for a blood meal that enough to fly away for something to will nourish their developing eggs. Biting eat. If it is a female she will require a blood meal before she can lay her females are most bothersome during eggs. the afternoons and early evenings. Unlike most other types of mosquitoes Fortunately, the problem usually lasts a eggs are laid singly on the surface of few weeks. calm water. After a day or so the eggs hatch into larvae. Control Where They Breed: Larva The Shasta Mosquito and Vector Control Anopheles freeborni prefer standing District employs a comprehensive water that is open and sunlit with control program that involves a variety vegetation and algae present. Such of carefully planned methods to control sources include creek isolations, ponds, mosquito populations. swampy areas, stream edges, and drain The larva or “wiggler” comes to the