Mosquito Control Products - dunks, foggers, sprays, misters

The first step to controlling mosquitoes is to eliminate breeding sites. After this has been done, use one of the products below to reduce mosquito populations.

Larvicide for homeowners such as Mosquito Dunks® or the Mosquito Torpedo®

Based on Bacillus thuringiensis israeliensis (Bti), a bacterium that produces proteins that are toxic for certain fly larvae
Have little effect on the environment and lower impact than adulticides
Safe for non-target insects and mammals
Usually effective for up to 30 days
Product labels describe how they should be used and how long each product lasts.

Backyard Foggers

Use before an event for temporary relief from biting mosquitoes
Usually effective for a couple of hours or more
Apply fogger toward shady areas and plants where mosquitoes rest and hide
Aerosol foggers (spray cans) usually empty more quickly and are more costly than thermal foggers.
Thermal foggers use heat, usually from a propane flame, to create a thick white fog that can kill many resting mosquitoes.
Thermal foggers produce a highly visible smoke that can alarm neighbors.
Both types of foggers may harm beneficial insects, such as bees, butterflies, and predator insects.
Do not use them near plants where bees are active, and follow the label instructions carefully.

Backyard Residual Sprays

Sprays that stay for extended times on surfaces
Can suppress mosquito activity for up to a month
Applied to mosquito resting sites on the sides of homes, around doorways, in tall grass and shrubs, and even in backyard trees
Can be applied more precisely and drift of spray from aerosols or pump sprayers is generally less than from thermal fog
Professional applications usually cost more but will last longer
Professional applicators use a powerful fan to blow residual spray up into dense foliage
Homeowners can apply residual sprays at home using aerosol sprays, pump-type garden-sprayers or hose end-sprayers. These types of sprays for homeowners tend to settle more quickly and do not penetrate dense foliage. Nevertheless, even do-it-yourself sprays around the backyard can help reduce the numbers of biting mosquitoes for days after application.

Mosquito Traps

Use carbon dioxide or human scent attractants to draw in and trap or kill mosquitoes
Must be at least as attractive as a human and operate continuously when mosquitoes are active
Some of these traps are relatively expensive
Effectiveness may vary depending on wind and airflow patterns

Bug Zappers

Use an ultraviolet light source to attract mosquitoes to an electrocuting grid
Unfortunately, these traps attract and kill many beneficial insects and do not control the females of biting species

Ovitraps

Artificial breeding containers
Sterilize or kill mosquitoes that come to the traps to lay eggs
Few are available on the market and have not been thoroughly tested

Attract-and-kill Sprays

Mix sugar water with a toxicant
Sugary mix attracts adult female mosquitoes, and the chemical kills them
Have not been well tested but concept shows some promise

Backyard Mister Systems

Consist of a timer connected to a series of nozzles that disperse a fine mist, or fog, of insecticide throughout the yard
Systems are expensive and controversial
Continual use of these systems may contribute to creating insecticide-resistant mosquitoes.
Daytime use of mister systems is also likely to harm beneficial insects.

Know your product’s active ingredients!

Look for the “Active Ingredient” statement on the front of the pesticide label, usually near the bottom of the label. This will allow you to compare to the list of active ingredients (Table 1) for outdoor mosquito control.

Table 1. Common active ingredients in outdoor mosquito insecticides and area repellents. Click or tap to open.

Featured Publication:

Do-It-Yourself Backyard Mosquito Control (pdf)

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Ask an Extension expert your question about Mosquito Control Products or other topics.