4 bite prevention tips mosquitoes don't want you to know

Frustrate those mosquitoes by using insect repellent, wearing long, loose-fitting clothing, getting rid of standing water, and checking our dashboard! Here's how: 

Use insect repellent

Use insect repellent on skin and clothing before heading outdoors during mosquito season. Sadly, mosquito activity doesn't die down until the temperature is consistently below 50 degrees. 

You have many repellent options to choose from. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services recommends using repellents with at least one of the following:

• 20–30% DEET 
• 10–20% picaridin
• 10–20% IR3535
• 30–40% oil of lemon eucalyptus (not for children under 3 years old)

You can also use permethrin on your clothes and gear to kill mosquitoes (but do not use it on your skin directly). Permethrin can be toxic to cats when wet, so take care to apply it away from your feline friends.

Wear long, loose-fitting clothing

If you're spending a lot of time outdoors (like hiking or on a fishing trip), think about long pants and sleeves. Loose-fitting and thicker clothing can also prevent mosquitoes from being able to reach your skin through your clothing. You can even wear a head net if you're going into a mosquito-heavy area!

Get rid of standing water outdoors

Mosquitoes—especially the kinds that can carry West Nile Virus—like to lay eggs in standing water. They only need a bit of shallow water, so be sure to keep your outdoor spaces dry or replace with fresh water often. Here are some hot spots to check, as mosquitoes can lay eggs in all sorts of small puddles: 

• Wheelbarrows
• Puddles that form on tarps
• The drainage trays in flower pots
• Pet dishes
• Clogged gutters
• Leaves and other plant debris
• Birdbaths
• Watering cans and uncovered rain barrels
• And more

Check if we've found the mosquitoes that could carry West Nile Virus near you

Last year we launched a dashboard to highlight our mosquito-related work! Every summer, public health staff go out and check ditches, ponds, streams, and other water sources on public sites for mosquito larvae that can spread West Nile Virus. 

If we see larvae in the field, we bring a sample back to the lab and identify the species of mosquito. If the species of mosquito we find is the type that's able to carry West Nile Virus, and there's more than 3 larvae in a sample, we go back to the site and treat it with larvicide. The larvicide only kills mosquito larvae. We sample sites throughout the summer.

We do this work so that we can try to reduce the number of mosquitoes that can make people sick. We track where mosquitoes that can carry diseases are most likely to be found, and we look for new species that might be moving into Dane County. 

View the Dashboard

On the dashboard you'll find:

• Homepage: gives an overview of the number of sites tested and treated in the previous week, plus links to everything you need. Data are updated on Mondays. 
• 2026 data (updated weekly): Our current testing and treatment data, updated every Monday. 
• Data from past years: Our 2024 and 2025 testing and treatment data. This does not update regularly. 
• Data notes: Explains the terms on the dashboard

For more mosquito and tick information, visit our website. Have a safe and mosquito-bite free summer!