How To Avoid (Or Try To Avoid) Mosquitoes

Summer is many people’s favorite season in Wisconsin. But with the great weather and outdoor activities comes one of our least favorite insects: the mosquito. Luckily, a few proactive steps can help reduce the amount of time you spend itching this summer (or worse, dealing with a mosquito-spread illness).

Use insect repellent

Use insect repellents on skin and clothing before heading outdoors during mosquito season (May-September). There are many repellent options available. 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

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 are 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 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. Pesticide applications to kill mosquito larvae are also an option.

Mosquitoes can lay eggs in all sorts of places, including:

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

We treat public waterways that have disease-carrying mosquitoes

We test public ditches, retention ponds, and other water sources for mosquito larvae. If we find mosquito larvae that can bite humans and spread diseases, we treat the water to kill the larvae. If you live near a public ditch or pond, you might see us out sampling this summer!

On our website, you can see 2023’s testing results mapped out and our latest mosquito report that covers our work preventing West Nile and other diseases.