TOSS standing water

The most effective thing you can do costs nothing. Mosquitoes need only a bottle cap of standing water to breed and they can complete their entire larval cycle in about a week — even less time if it’s really hot out!

Walk your yard once a week and tip, toss, or drain anything holding water.

Some repeat offenders include:

  • Four trash bins in yellow, blue, red, and green colors lined up against a gray wall, from left to right. The bins are placed on a brick sidewalk with a white line above them.

    Trash and recycling bins.

    Dump the water that collects at the bottom, particularly after a storm. Or drill small drainage holes in the bottom!

  • Colorful children's playground in sandy area with various play equipment and toys scattered around, including a bear figurine, small sandbox with a pink chair, and plastic rides, with a blue fence and parked cars in the background.

    Yard toys

    Slides, toy cars, water tables, kiddie pools… all are prime targets for collecting water.

  • A crumpled blue plastic tarp lying on grass outdoors.

    Tarps, furniture and grill covers

    Those little folds in the fabric? Mosquito heaven. Give it a quick shake!

  • Close-up of a house roof with brown shingles, some fallen leaves and small twigs collected along the gutter line, illuminated by warm sunlight.

    Gutters and downspout

    Clogged gutters are one of the sneakiest breeding sites around — out of sight, out of mind, and full of exactly the kind of stagnant, leafy water mosquitoess love.

    Got a corrugated downspout extension running along the ground? Those ridges are basically a mosquito condo — swap it for a smooth one!

  • A greenhouse interior with various gardening supplies, including clay pots, a wicker basket, a large ceramic face sculpture, and small potted plants on a metal shelf and gravel floor.

    Planter saucers and empty pots

    Tip out any extra water collecting in your planter saucers… or ditch them ! You don’t need them outside!

  • Close-up of lush green leaves with varied shapes and textures.

    Big-leafed plants

    Some plants cup and hold enough water to create little mosquito apartments.

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