The five species you'll actually encounter
Per Palm Beach County Mosquito Control's published surveillance data, 13 mosquito species are documented in the county. Five of them account for ~95% of bites. Each has a distinct breeding habitat — knowing which one you have makes treatment 10× more effective.
Salt-marsh mosquito (Aedes taeniorhynchus)
When you'll meet them: May–October, dawn and dusk, anywhere within ~3 miles of the coast.
Where they breed: Salt-marsh, mangrove edges, the Intracoastal — all of east Jupiter, Juno Beach, Palm Beach, Highland Beach.
Disease risk: Low. They're nuisance swarmers, not significant disease vectors per CDC data.
Why they're hard to control: They fly up to 20 miles from breeding sites, so yard treatment alone won't fix it. PBC Mosquito Control runs aerial spray programs targeting this species.
Yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti)
When you'll meet them: Year-round, daytime, near houses.
Where they breed: Anywhere holding water for >5 days — bromeliads, plant saucers, clogged gutters, AC condensate, kiddie pools, tarps. They breed at your house.
Disease risk: High. Documented vector for dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya. PBC has documented local Zika transmission per EPA and CDC data.
Control: Source reduction is everything. Eliminating standing water around your house cuts your population in half before any treatment.
Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus)
When you'll meet them: Year-round, daytime, near houses.
Where they breed: Tree holes, leaf axils, container water — same as A. aegypti, plus more wooded sites.
Disease risk: High. Same disease profile as A. aegypti. They're the second most common day-biting species in PBC per UF/IFAS.
Identifying mark: Black-and-white striped legs and a single white stripe down the back.
Southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus)
When you'll meet them: Year-round, evening and night, indoors and around lights.
Where they breed: Polluted standing water — storm drains, septic tanks, drainage ditches, puddles with organic matter.
Disease risk: Primary West Nile virus vector in Florida per CDC and UF/IFAS. Also carries St. Louis encephalitis and avian malaria.
Control: Storm drain larviciding (PBC Mosquito Control runs this) plus yard cleanup eliminates most of the population.
Wyeomyia mosquitoes
When you'll meet them: Any month bromeliads have water in their leaf cups.
Where they breed: Bromeliad cups exclusively — they're the only mosquito species in Florida that breed only in plant water. PBC's love affair with landscape bromeliads makes them a year-round local headache.
Disease risk: Low. Nuisance bites only.
Control: Flush bromeliad cups with the hose every Sunday, or drop a Bti tablet in each cup.
The seasonal calendar in PBC
Per Palm Beach County Mosquito Control's surveillance data, the population curve in our county looks like this:
- December–February: Lowest pressure. Cool, dry stretches drop populations 70–80% from peak. Some species (Aedes aegypti, Culex) remain active year-round at low levels.
- March–April: First real spike as rain returns. Container breeders (A. aegypti, A. albopictus) lead.
- May–June: Salt-marsh swarms begin on the coast. Inland populations climb steeply.
- July–August: Peak. Daily afternoon thunderstorms create endless breeding water. Salt-marsh swarms hit their maximum on coastal nights.
- September: Peak continues, often worst because population has compounded for 4 months.
- October: Begins dropping with first cool fronts. Still high.
- November: Sharp decline. Salt-marsh swarms end.
Eight breeding sites in your yard right now
Walk your property tomorrow morning. Eliminating these takes 30 minutes and cuts your yard mosquito population by 50% before any treatment:
- Bromeliads. The single biggest mosquito factory in South Florida. Each leaf cup holds water for days. Flush with hose every Sunday or use Bti tablets.
- Plant saucers under pots. Five days of standing water = breeding. Drill drain holes or empty after every rain.
- Clogged gutters. Pine needles dam water. Clean every November before rainy season; check after every storm.
- AC condensate drains. The puddle at the base of your AC unit. Treat with granular Bti larvicide — lasts 30 days.
- Birdbaths and fountains. If water doesn't move, it breeds. Pump-running fountains are fine. Static birdbaths need weekly dump or a Bti dunk.
- Pool deck cracks & screen tracks. Tiny pools you don't see. Treat screen-track corners with a residual every few months.
- Tarps, kayaks, kiddie pools. Anything that holds a tablespoon of water. Flip, drain, or store.
- Tree holes & leaf axils. Asian tiger's preferred nursery. Fill or treat any accessible cavity.
What works for treatment (and what doesn't)
Three EPA-registered approaches are the published standard. Anything else is a marketing gimmick:
1. Source reduction (every yard)
The eight sites above. Free, takes 30 minutes, cuts your population dramatically. Per EPA mosquito control guidance, source reduction is the single most effective control method available to homeowners.
2. Larvicide on standing water you can't drain
Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) is a bacterial larvicide that only kills mosquito and fungus gnat larvae. Bees, butterflies, fish, birds, and pets ignore it per EPA registration. We use Bti tablets on every standing water source we identify — birdbaths, retention ponds, AC drains, irrigation puddles.
3. Adulticide (perimeter spray) for biting populations
Pyrethroid perimeter spray on shrub undersides and fence lines kills the resting adult population. Effect lasts 30 days under normal weather. We never spray flowering plants, never spray during peak bee-foraging hours (10 AM–4 PM), and never spray within 25 feet of vegetable gardens or beehives.
What about In2Care? (We use it.)
The In2Care station is a relatively new EPA-registered tool that uses an auto-dissemination mechanism: female mosquitoes land in the station, contact a low-dose larvicide on a coated screen, then carry it to other breeding sites the technician would never find. Field trials published in peer-reviewed entomology journals show population reductions of 70–90% under PBC field conditions. We deploy it on properties with significant bromeliad/landscape water and on country club golf courses where we can't drain water hazards.
Disease risk in PBC, in plain English
Three pathogens to actually worry about in our county:
- West Nile virus. 90% asymptomatic. ~1 in 150 develops serious illness. Adults over 60 highest risk. PBC has had documented cases every year since 1999.
- Zika virus. Documented local transmission in PBC in 2016. Particularly dangerous for pregnant women — causes fetal microcephaly.
- Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). Rare but serious. ~30% mortality in symptomatic cases. PBC sees occasional sentinel chicken positives but rare human cases.
Per PBC Mosquito Control, your individual disease risk is low if you're not pregnant, immunocompromised, or over 65. Your nuisance-bite risk is high if you don't manage your yard. Both are addressed by the same program: source reduction + larvicide + targeted adulticide.
Where you live shapes your strategy
- Coastal (Jupiter, Juno Beach, Highland Beach): Salt-marsh swarms are your dominant pressure. Source reduction in your yard helps but won't fix dawn/dusk swarming. PBC aerial spray and county-level larviciding matters more.
- Suburban (Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee): Container breeders and Culex are your problems. Yard cleanup + Bti treats most of it.
- Urban infill (West Palm Beach, Lake Worth Beach): Storm drain and alley puddles drive Culex pressure. PBC catch-basin treatment plus yard treatment.
- Country clubs (PBG, Atlantis): Water hazards drive everything. In2Care station program is the only thing that works at scale.
FAQ
Does foggers/citronella candles really work?
What about bug zappers?
Should I get a yard fogging treatment or a quarterly program?
What's the best repellent to actually use on skin?
Sources cited: Palm Beach County Mosquito Control · EPA Mosquito Control · EPA Pesticide Registry · UF/IFAS Extension