Larviciding

Larviciding targets mosquitoes during the larval stage, while they are still developing in water. Based on surveillance and inspections, our team identifies areas containing mosquito larvae and selects the appropriate treatment method based on the size, location, and conditions of the area. 

What methods are used? 

Depending on the size, location, and accessibility of the treatment area, larvicides may be applied using: 

• Spray bottles – For small, targeted areas 

• Backpack sprayers – For areas reached on foot 

• Trucks – For larger areas accessible by ground 

• Side-mounted spray nozzle - treats areas along roadsides and ditches 

• Hose reel sprayer - used to spray fields and other mosquito breeding areas not accessible from the roadside  

• Drones – For hard-to-reach or difficult terrain 

• Helicopters – For larger treatment areas and locations best accessed by air 

• See a helicopter? Click here to learn what you may see, what our crews are doing, why the aircraft fly so low, and why these operations take place during the day. 

Using different application methods allows our team to target mosquito larvae efficiently based on the specific conditions and needs of each area. 

Because mosquitoes can develop quickly from larvae into flying adults, there is often a limited window of time to complete larviciding treatments. For this reason, larviciding is part of our daily operations and treatments may need to be completed quickly based on current surveillance and inspection findings. Due to this reason, advance public notifications are not issued for routine larviciding operations.