Talk

Mosquitoes don’t respect property lines.

A few conversations can make the whole block better.

How does talking stop mosquitoes? If your yard is clean and your neighbor’s gutters are full, you’re still getting bitten — and vice versa.

A few coordinated households can cover a whole block more efficiently than each of you going it alone. That’s the idea behind Block Captains — neighbors who take point on coordinating their block so the effort actually adds up.

Not up for that role right now? No pressure. Even just mentioning it to one neighbor counts, and this page has a few ideas for how to make that easy.

Ways to engage

Block Captains Getting the word out Skeptics

What is a Block Captain?

A Block Captain is a neighbor who helps coordinate mosquito prevention on their block. You’re the connector — the person who spreads the word, organizes neighbors, and helps them take action together. Block by block, we’re building a network across DC.

You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to care about mosquitoes and have some capacity to coordinate. That could mean dropping a flyer in mailboxes, sharing info in a group chat, or organizing a bulk trap order with neighbors. It’s flexible.

You’re not on your own. You’ll join an active community of 200+ Block Captains asking questions, sharing tips, and supporting each other. We’ll give you the resources and handbook you need.

Things Block Captains typically do:

Introduce themselves to neighbors and share the basics

Coordinate group trap orders (and Block Captains get a one-time shipping discount)

Walk the block periodically and report standing water (catch basins, vaults, etc.) to DC Health.

Send a reminder before storms to close trash can lids and after storms to check yards for standing water

Connect with Captains on neighboring blocks

Want more detail? Check out the Block Captain handbook →

Find your Block Captain

Getting the word out

Most of the impact happens in casual conversation, not organized campaigns. Any of these make a real difference:

Share the site

The easiest one. Text a neighbor the link, drop it in a group chat, post it to your listserv or Nextdoor.

Bring it up when it’s already on people’s minds

After a bad evening outside, at a block party, when someone’s complaining about getting bitten — those are the moments when it lands naturally.

Show, don’t tell

If you have a trap set up, offer to show a neighbor. People who see one in person tend to get on board pretty quickly — especially when they see what’s caught on the sticky paper or in the catch bag.

Point out standing water in public

Once you see standing water pooled under a grate in the sidewalk, you can’t unsee it. Point it out to someone and show them how to report it →.

Help an interested neighbor get started

Sometimes the barrier isn’t motivation, it’s friction. Walking someone through the ordering process can be the difference between “I’ll get to it” and actually getting to it.

Forward the newsletter

If you’re subscribed, pass an issue along to someone who isn’t.

Talking to skeptics

Not everyone will be immediately on board, and that’s fine. A few things that help:

Lead with the annoyance, not the science.

“I was getting eaten alive every time I went outside and this actually helped” lands better than a deep dive on Bti. Personal experience beats data almost every time.

Spraying doesn’t work — and most people don’t know that.

If a neighbor is in “just spray the yard” mode, the Why not spray? → page does the explaining for you.

You don’t need everyone.

A block doesn’t need full participation to see results. Enough engaged households changes the math for everyone, including the holdouts. Let skeptics opt out without burning the relationship — they often come around when they see results next season.

Don’t oversell it.

This works best as a sustained, community-wide effort over a season — not an overnight fix. That’s genuinely good news, and it’s also just honest.