Living with Mosquitos

Living with Mosquitos

by | Jun 30, 2026 | Do It Yourself (DIY), Home Page, Outdoor Living, Pollinators and Wildlife, Rainwater Harvesting, Spring, Summer, Watering and Irrigation

Mosquitoes have been so very prominent here in the Albuquerque area over the last five years, and we’ve been learning a lot about how to live with them in our yards. Fortunately, Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque have been studying mosquito lifecycles, treatment and abatement for years.

There are three types of mosquitoes found in our area, including the Aedes vexans (floodwater mosquito) and the Culex quinquefasciatus (southern house mosquito). Additionally, the Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquito) has become firmly established in the Albuquerque area in recent years.

All these species are well adapted to the local environment, but they differ significantly in behavior, feeding habits and the types of risks they pose. Southern house mosquitoes primarily feed on birds but will bite humans and domestic animals. They are active at night and during dawn and dusk.

Floodwater mosquitoes prefer to host on humans, livestock and pets. They are highly aggressive and notorious for biting during the evening and nighttime hours. Floodwater mosquitoes are a nuisance because of their painful and frequent bites but not commonly associated with disease.

Floodwater mosquito

Yellow fever mosquitoes are specifically human-focused biters that actively hunt during the daytime. They are easily recognized by the distinct white, violin-shaped markings on their back and striped bands on their legs. They are the primary transmitters of critical mosquito-borne diseases, such as Zika, dengue fever and yellow fever. These diseases have not been found in the greater Albuquerque area and City-County prevention is underway to keep it that way. To learn more about the yellow fever mosquito, check out this useful flyer.

Yellow fever mosquito

Local mosquito control is conducted as a combined city-county effort. Mosquitoes are controlled at all life stages through a variety of methods, following the principles of integrated pest management. The goal is effective and efficient control designed to minimize the amount of pesticide released in the environment and to prevent pesticide resistance. Protecting public health and ensuring that outdoor activities can be enjoyed safely and comfortably is the City-County partnerships underlying mission.

Albuquerque and Bernalillo County residents can report mosquito issues by calling 311.

Residents who don’t wish to have their property sprayed can register on the No-Spray List by calling 311.

The most important things you can do are reducing mosquito breeding habitat and preventing mosquito bites as per City of Albuquerque Environmental Health Department.

 

What you can do

Prevent mosquito breeding on your property

  • Dump standing water found in trays beneath potted plants; used tires; trash, discarded buckets and other containers; children’s toys; and other places.
  • Store containers that could hold water upside down.
  • Keep your property uncluttered ­— mosquitoes can breed in the smallest pools of water even as small as a bottle cap.
  • Clean pet water dishes regularly by emptying, scrubbing and replacing the water.
  • Replace bird bath water regularly.
  • Cover rain barrels with a fine mesh and treat with mosquito dunks. Mosquito dunks contain bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti). Bti is a naturally occurring bacterium found in soils. It contains spores that produce toxins that specifically target the larvae of the mosquito. Bti has no toxicity to people and is approved for pest control in organic farming operations. It has been well tested and based on the studies EPA has concluded that Bti does not pose a risk to humans. The Bti mosquito dunks are sold at hardware, home improvement, and feed supply stores. They can be placed in standing water, and the bacteria will kill mosquito larvae.
  • Treat pools with chlorine. If not in use, keep empty or treat with mosquito dunks
  • Reduce moist collection areas in your grass lawn as mosquitos like to bread in these small moist spaces. Aim to space your sprinkler watering out so the wet areas dry up between irrigation days.
  • Add mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis, to ponds and small water features (available free from the City of Albuquerque by calling 311).
  • Check flat roofs for pockets of water in shaded areas and clogged rain gutters.

 

Prevent mosquitoes from entering your home

  • Keep door and window screens in good condition.
  • Check window screens and doors for holes and repair any holes with sticky screen tape.

 

Protect yourself when outdoors

 

Report standing water and high adult populations to 311

 

Other home strategies

  • Set out mosquito traps to reduce the number of mosquitoes in your yard or home. BG-sentinel traps use dry ice (which can be bought at a grocery store) and/or a scent bait to attract mosquitoes and are very effective. The City uses BG-Sentinel traps when conducting mosquito surveillance. Ovitraps can be used to attract females that are ready to lay their eggs. It is important to maintain ovitraps by adding a mosquito dunk or they will become breeding habitat.
  • Repel mosquitoes with smell: Mosquitoes rely heavily on their sense of smell to locate their next meal. They are attracted to certain odors, such as carbon dioxide from our breath and lactic acid from our skin. Mosquitoes hate strong, pungent and herbaceous scents that mask the carbon dioxide and lactic acid humans emit. These can be distributed as sprays, diffused as essential oils or the plants can be crushed and rubbed onto your skin for a natural repellent. The smells they don’t like include:
    • Lemon eucalyptus: Approved by CDC and World Health Organization, it is recognized as one of the most effective natural deterrents. It contains PMD(p-menthane-3,8-diol) which is extracted from the leaves of a lemon eucalyptus tree. This scent is known to block mosquitoes from detecting you.
    • Citronella: The classic lemon-grass scent disrupts a mosquito’s ability to find hosts.
    • Peppermint and menthol: The intense smell of mint can overpower their sensory receptors.
    • Lavender: Contains compounds like linalool that deter pests.
    • Citrus: Citrus smells, such as those from lemons, oranges and grapefruits, are highly effective at repelling mosquitoes. You could place citrus peels in strategic locations to deter mosquitoes from coming too close.
    • Rosemary: Rosemary is another herb that mosquitoes dislike. Plant rosemary bushes near outdoor seating areas then crush the leaves to release the smells and oils.
    • Basil: Crush fresh basil leaves to release their scent.
    • Garlic: Create a garlic spray by mixing crushed garlic cloves with water.
    • Lemon balm: Rub crushed lemon balm leaves on your skin for added protection.
    • Catnip: Catnip contains a compound called nepetalactone, which is highly effective at repelling mosquitoes. Plant catnip in pots or in your garden or crush the leaves and rub them on your skin for a natural repellent.
  • Create DIY sprays: One of the easiest ways to use essential oils for mosquito control is by creating a DIY spray. Combine:
    • 2 ounces of distilled water
    • 1.5 ounces of witch hazel
    • 30-40 drops of essential oils (Mix and match based on your preferences; effective options include citronella, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass and tea tree.)
  • Repel mosquitos with smoke: Incense sticks and smudge sticks have been used around town by local restaurants and in yards with some success.
  • Repel mosquitos with a fan. The breeze of an outdoor fan can make it harder to trace the scents and harder for them to fly near the fan.
  • Schedule a yard audit: According to a recent KRQE interview with City of Albuquerque Urban Biology Division Manager Nick Pederson, the city can help residents reduce mosquitoes on private property by performing an inspection. “We like to offer what we call a yard audit or a yard inspection where we’ll come out and actually look at a person’s yard with them and see if we can identify possible sources of mosquito issues,” Pederson said, explaining that these inspections can be requested by contacting 311.

 

Resources and Photography for this article:

 

https://www.krqe.com/news/community/dealing-with-mosquitoes-the-city-of-albuquerque-will-give-you-free-fish-to-help/

https://kentuckypest.com/blog/smells-mosquitoes-hate

https://www.cabq.gov/environmentalhealth/urban-biology/mosquitoes/what-you-can-do

https://www.cabq.gov/environmentalhealth/urban-biology/pest-management/integrated-pest-management

https://www.bernco.gov/planning/consumer-health-protection/mosquito-control/

https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/bti-mosquito-control##1

 

Learn More Here:

 

How to DIY a Mosquito bucket trap

Yellow Mosquito Flyer

City Of Albuquerque Mosquito Tips

 

 

Have a question about the article or anything else? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org

Irrigation season has begun, and there are three things to do in April!

Irrigation season has begun, and there are three things to do in April!

by | Apr 1, 2021 | Blog, Do It Yourself (DIY), Spring, Water Conservation, Watering and Irrigation, Watering Recommendations, Waterwise Tips

Spring is here, and it is a dry one. Remember that we are under a drought watch, which is no reason to panic, BUT it does mean we need to be much more careful with our water and aware of how efficiently we are using it in our yards.

This April, there are three easy activities you can do to help make sure your system is working more efficiently.

1. Double check your irrigation settings. Your plants are actively growing now. They need an extra drink of water to stay healthy, but it is important that we are not giving them too much. Your plants will do better with a deep watering done less frequently. Print out our Seasonal Watering Chart, which shows how often we recommend watering each type of plant. Water your lawn one to two times per week, your trees two times per month and your shrubs two to three times per month. 

Check with a screwdriver to make sure the water is reaching the roots but not going so deep that the roots can’t reach it. The proper depth is on the right side of our chart above.

2. Make sure that your trees and shrubs are watered around their drip line so they can efficiently use the water they are getting. This is where woody plants (trees and shrubs) are best able to take up water from the soil. If your emitters are at the trunk or base of your shrubs, your plants are not able to use all of the water you are giving them. You need to move the emitters out to the drip line, and you may need to add additional emitters. For example, if there are only two emitters serving a mature tree that needs over 400 gallons of water in April, it will be nearly impossible for that tree to get enough water to remain healthy without adding more emitters.

3. Because of the “stay at home” health order, many of us have been focusing on improving our yards. This is the perfect time to upgrade your irrigation system so you can water more efficiently.  You may only need to replace the nozzles on your sprinklers, or you may be looking at a complete yard transformation. By making changes sooner rather than later, you will benefit in three ways: You will save money sooner, probably have a better chance of getting into a contractor’s schedule if you need help and put less stress on your plants if the work is done in the cool spring weather rather than during the summer.

It’s also the perfect time to reach out to us for help. Send us an email at AskAnExpert@abcwua.org to ask landscape questions or to arrange an appointment for a free consultation.

Author: Richard Perce, Irrigation Efficiency Specialist with the Water Resources Division for the Water Authority.  Have a question about the article? AskAnExpert@abcwua.org

Irrigation Service Tip and Watering Recommendations for the Spring Season:

by | May 1, 2020 | Blog, Do It Yourself (DIY), Maintenance, Spring, Water Conservation, Watering and Irrigation, Watering Recommendations, Waterwise Tips

Service: April’s freeze may have damaged your irrigation system, so make sure to inspect it for leaks, or broken sprinkler heads and emitters!

Watering Recommendations: Spring rains are benefitting established landscapes! Follow these watering recommendations to keep your yard looking healthy: for grass (turf), water one-two times per week and for your trees water one-two times per month. To know how much to water, follow our Water by the Seasons spring watering recommendations. Remember, if it rains more than a half inch you can skip your next scheduled watering time as there is no need for supplemental irrigation.

Spring Lawn Best Practices

Spring Lawn Best Practices

by | May 1, 2020 | Blog, Do It Yourself (DIY), Lawn Care, Maintenance, Maintenance Tips, Spring, Water Conservation, Watering and Irrigation, Waterwise Tips

Do you want to walk barefoot across cool, soft grass? Especially on those hot summer days? We’d love for you to do that! We also want you to take care of your lawn in a healthy way that saves the most water.

One might assume that proper lawn care begins in the spring but creating that beautiful lawn can start at any time. Sometimes it’s even better to start in the fall. Either way, you need to begin with good soil, full of organic material that will both provide nutrition and help hold in that moisture. But if you don’t already have that, how do you get it?

First, dethatch your lawn once a year. Most lawns need this done when the layer of thatch reaches roughly ½” thick. Cool season grasses, such as bluegrass, need to be dethatched in the fall, whereas warm season grasses, such as Bermudagrass, need to be dethatched in the spring.

Aerating is the second step needed to keep your lawn as healthy and water efficient as possible. If you have an older lawn, or have highly compacted soil, you should aerate twice a year -- once in the spring and again in the fall. If you are aerating, or hiring someone else to do it, run the irrigation first and flag all your spray heads or rotors. This prevents inadvertently creating the need for sprinkler repairs!  Aerate the whole lawn one direction and then again perpendicular to the first pass.

Lastly, top dress your lawn with at least a ½” of fine textured compost twice a year to add nutrients back into the soil and help retain moisture.

Also, regularly sharpen the blades on your mower and set it up as a mulching mower. Your mowing height should be as high as possible to help maintain a healthy lawn and conserve water.

Watering correctly is most important, so maintain your irrigation system year-round, and follow the Water by the Seasons watering recommendations. Check all the filters on each of your spray heads or rotors, then run your system to ensure that all of your spray nozzles or rotors are aligned and aren’t clogged. Repair or replace anything that isn’t working properly. Also check the base of each spray head to make sure you don’t have a leak at the base. The ground will probably be soft and squishy if there is one. To improve efficiency of your system, choose high efficiency sprinkler nozzles (rebates of $2 are available).

One last thing. Kick those shoes off and go enjoy that lawn!

Author: Richard Perce, Irrigation Efficiency Specialist with the Water Resources Division for the Water Authority. Have a question about the article AskAnExpert@abcwua.org
Avoid water waste! Follow Time-of-Day Watering Restrictions from April 1 to Oct 31

Avoid water waste! Follow Time-of-Day Watering Restrictions from April 1 to Oct 31

by | Apr 2, 2020 | Blog, Fall, Spring, Summer, Water Conservation, Waterwise Tips

A lot of things have changed since last spring, but at least one thing is the same:  April 1 is still the date on which time-of-day watering rules go into effect for Water Authority customers in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County. That means sprinkler and spray irrigation is not allowed between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. from now until Oct. 31 in order to minimize losses to wind and evaporation. 

Using spray irrigation during the hottest, windiest part of the day is not efficient. Instead, water in the early morning or in the evening when it’s cooler. Another good way to avoid water waste is by troubleshooting your irrigation system on a regular basis to identify leaks and make sure water is directed properly to the plants. Follow these tips for a desert friendly yard:

  • For turf, follow the Water by the Numbers program and adjust your watering schedule as the season changes:  Two days per week in April and May, three days per week in the summer, and ramp down again in the fall.
  • Irrigate only when your plants need it, and water them deeply rather than too frequently.  Use a long screwdriver or soil probe to check soil moisture.
  • Add compost to your soil to increase moisture retention and boost soil fertility.
     
  • Mulch around plants to help retain moisture and reduce weeds.

Grow strong and healthy trees by watering infrequently, to a depth of at least 24,” in a wide area around the tree’s canopy.  Many of our trees only need deep watering 1 -2 times per month (depending on the species and conditions).