07/22/2026
First comes the rain, then comes the buzz!
A few days after a good monsoon downpour, standing water becomes prime mosquito real estate.
Mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle. They need wet conditions to lay eggs and grow from an aquatic larva into a flying adult. Humans create the vast majority of the wet conditions used by mosquitoes in Arizona. The best way to prevent mosquito-borne diseases is to minimize the number of mosquitoes and to prevent them from breeding in the first place.
Here are some tips on what you can do to manage mosquitos, eliminate mosquito-breeding sites and protect your yard and ankles!
1. Check for standing water in plant pots, bird-baths, fountains, tires, tarpaulins covering boats or other objects, and backyard trampolines and other items . Drain the water regularly (twice a week is ideal).
2. Remove unnecessary clutter. Keep rain gutters free of leaves and other debris that prevent water from draining. Store boats, canoes and other objects so they do not collect rainwater.
3. Repair water leaks (leaky pipes, sprinkler systems, and outside faucets). Correct drainage problems in yards and playing fields. Report drainage problems in ditches, etc. Fill holes or depressions in trees with sand.
4. Empty water containers for pets and check livestock watering troughs and tanks (Fig. 17C).
5. Install or Repair Screens: Some mosquitoes like to come indoors. Keep them outside by having well-fitting screens on both windows and doors. Offer to help neighbors whose
screens might be in bad shape. Do not prop doors or keep doors open, particularly early or late in the day when mosquitoes are most active.
To learn more about ways to control mosquitoes around your home and garden, visit:
[URL] - https://extension.arizona.edu/publication/using-personal-repellents-protection-against-mosquitoes-and-ticks
[URL] - https://www.pima.gov/2100/Mosquitoes
[URL] - https://repository.arizona.edu/server/api/core/bitstreams/215ebfa1-092d-4028-9bc0-d5c3fdd11e3d/content
