The Asian tiger mosquito is Georgia's most common and widespread mosquito pest, and it breeds in containers that hold water around a house. The West Nile carrier in Georgia is a different mosquito, the southern house mosquito, which breeds in storm drains and polluted water. Removing standing water near the house is the first step for the container breeder.
Key takeaways
- UGA Extension describes the Asian tiger mosquito as Georgia's most common and widespread mosquito pest.
- The Asian tiger mosquito is a day-biting nuisance that breeds in containers holding water around a home.
- UGA advises walking the yard twice a week in summer heat, because adults can emerge in about three days.
- Tip and toss is UGA's first control step, and Bti is named for water that cannot be emptied.
- Regional news reports describe the southern house mosquito as breeding in storm drains and polluted water.
- This guide gives no West Nile case count, year or rate for Gwinnett County.
Which mosquitoes bother people in Gwinnett?
The Asian tiger mosquito is the most common and widespread mosquito pest in Georgia, and it bites during the day. It breeds in containers, using almost anything around a house that holds water.
UGA Extension describes the Asian tiger mosquito as Georgia's most common and widespread mosquito pest. It is a day-biting nuisance, so the problem is most felt when people are outdoors in daylight. That habit is why the yard, rather than the woods, is where most of the practical work happens for this species. Its importance to a household is mostly as a nuisance during outdoor time, and that shapes what a homeowner should do about it.
A UGA entomologist has said the Asian tiger is not the West Nile vector, while other sources say it can transmit the virus in some settings. The evidence is mixed, so this guide does not call the species safe or unsafe on that point. The West Nile carrier in Georgia is the southern house mosquito, which is covered in its own section below. A homeowner does not need to settle that question to act. The yard steps are the same whichever way the evidence eventually falls, and they are what a technician recommends first.
Why does a yard breed Asian tiger mosquitoes?
They lay eggs in standing water in containers, and they use nearly anything around a house that holds water. A yard with many containers gives them many places to breed.
UGA lists tires, plant saucers, buckets, pet bowls, birdbaths, rain barrels and clogged gutters as typical containers. It also names less obvious ones: tarps, car covers and children's toys. A yard does not need a pond to breed mosquitoes. Any container that holds water long enough can become a breeding place, and the less obvious items are the ones most often overlooked. Because many of these containers are ordinary household items, the list works best as a set of things to check on each walk.
The practical question for a Snellville back yard is which of these containers hold water on a given day. A walk around the yard answers it, and the answer changes after rain. The mosquito control service covers how a technician checks the yard for the same containers. A homeowner who keeps a short list of the usual spots will find the walk takes only a few minutes, and the list can change as items are added or moved.
How fast do mosquitoes come up in summer heat?
Adults can emerge in about three days in Georgia summer heat, according to UGA. That is why UGA advises walking the yard twice a week rather than checking once.
The timing matters because a container checked once a week can produce a new generation between visits. UGA's advice of two checks a week is based on the emergence window in summer heat. It is a practical rule of thumb rather than a guarantee, but it is far more reliable than a monthly look. The same reasoning applies after a wet stretch, when new water collects in containers that were empty the week before.
Each walk should look at every container, including ones that appear dry at the top, and at the gutters and drains that can collect water. Tip out anything that holds water and reposition what collects it. A birdbath or a clogged gutter needs more than a glance, and a tarp or car cover should be lifted and checked too, since UGA names both as places where mosquitoes breed.
What is tip and toss?
Tip and toss is UGA's first step: empty every container that holds water and reposition things that collect it. What cannot be emptied can be treated with Bti, a biological product.
UGA's control advice starts with removing standing water. Tip and toss means emptying containers and repositioning things that collect water so they drain. Gwinnett County's health department used the same advice during its West Nile response, so the phrase is local as well as a UGA recommendation. Keeping the process simple matters, because a routine that is easy to repeat each week tends to work better than an elaborate one done once.
Some water cannot be emptied, such as a storm drain or a fixed rain gutter. For those, UGA points to Bti biological products as the treatment. A technician can explain which water in a particular yard falls into each group. Bti does not replace emptying what can be emptied, so the homeowner's walk remains the first step.
What is the West Nile carrier, and where does it breed?
Georgia's West Nile carrier is the southern house mosquito, which breeds in storm drains and polluted water. Regional news reports place its peak later in summer, roughly August into mid-September.
The southern house mosquito is the one linked to West Nile in Georgia, according to regional news reports. It breeds in storm drains and polluted water, which are not containers a homeowner can simply empty. The reported peak falls later in summer, roughly from August into mid-September, and that timing is one reason it is a separate subject from the yard mosquito. Because the timing comes from regional news reports, the peak should be read as a reported pattern rather than a fixed date in every year.
Because the breeding sites are drains and polluted water, the homeowner's part is smaller and different. Keeping the back yard free of standing water still helps with the other species. A technician can explain what can and cannot be done around a particular property, which is a more useful conversation than a general one about drains. Asking how a particular property sits relative to drains and low ground is a practical first question for a technician.
Has West Nile been reported in Gwinnett County?
West Nile virus has been reported in Gwinnett County, including a human case. The county health department responded with an education campaign rather than more spraying.
Regional news reports covered a human West Nile case in Gwinnett County and the county health department's response to it. The response was an education campaign rather than more spraying. This guide gives no case count, year or rate.
The county's advice does not depend on a case count. Use a repellent containing DEET, wear loose long sleeves and pants, limit time outdoors, and keep screens on doors and windows in good repair. The label on any repellent is the instruction to follow, and the advice applies to the whole household rather than one person.
What does a mosquito visit cover?
A technician can walk the yard, point out the containers and drains that hold water, and explain what treatment fits the site. A visit does not promise a mosquito-free yard.
A visit usually starts with the yard walk the UGA advice describes. The technician looks for containers, gutters, drains and low spots that hold water, and notes which items the homeowner can empty. That split between what a homeowner does and what a technician does is the most useful part of the visit, because it sets the routine for the weeks after. A homeowner who walks the yard with the technician sees the same containers and gets a clearer picture of what to do next.
A visit is not a promise of a mosquito-free yard. Weather decides how fast mosquitoes breed, and no single service changes that. A realistic plan combines the yard walk, tip and toss and a technician's treatment of what cannot be emptied, and it is repeated through the warm months rather than done once. Any plan should be reviewed as the season moves on, because the containers in a yard change with the weeks.
When should I book a visit?
Book before the summer peak if the yard has known containers, and again after a wet stretch. A visit the same day is possible when a technician is free, but no arrival time is promised.
The timing follows the mosquito. The container season typically runs from spring into summer, and adults can emerge in about three days in summer heat. A visit in spring can set up the yard-walk habit before the heavy months arrive. A visit in late summer is more useful if the concern is the West Nile season, because the reported peak for the southern house mosquito comes later.
Phones are answered 24/7. A caller can ask about the yard walk, what to check beforehand and how a treatment is chosen. The price is confirmed on site, in writing, before any work starts, and a technician can explain that step on the phone before a visit is booked.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Asian tiger mosquito the one that carries West Nile?
A UGA entomologist has said it is not the West Nile vector. Other sources say it can transmit the virus in some settings, so the evidence is mixed. This guide does not settle the question. The West Nile carrier in Georgia is the southern house mosquito, which breeds in storm drains and polluted water.
Does tip and toss really work?
UGA lists it as the first control step, because removing standing water takes away the breeding site. It is most useful for the containers a homeowner can reach, such as buckets, saucers and toys. Water in drains or in other places that cannot be emptied needs a different approach, and UGA names Bti biological products for it. A walk twice a week keeps the work on schedule.
How often should I check the yard?
UGA advises walking the yard twice a week in summer heat, because adults can emerge in about three days. A check once a week can miss a new generation between visits. Tires, buckets, birdbaths, plant saucers and clogged gutters are the usual places to look. Tarps and car covers should be lifted and checked as well.
Should I use a repellent?
The county advice during the West Nile response included DEET repellent, along with loose long sleeves and pants, limited outdoor time and screens on doors and windows. The label on any repellent should be followed exactly. The advice is about the whole household, not only the people who work outside.
Is there a West Nile case count for Gwinnett?
This guide gives no case count, year or rate for Gwinnett. The one statement it makes is that West Nile virus has been reported in Gwinnett County. The county health department answered with an education campaign rather than more spraying. Anyone wanting current figures should check the county health department directly.
Can a technician remove the storm-drain mosquitoes?
A technician can explain what can be done around a particular property, including what is treated and what is outside the homeowner's control. Storm drains and polluted water are the southern house mosquito's breeding places, so the homeowner's part is smaller. Ask the technician what applies to your property. Phones are answered 24/7.
Sources
This guide is general information for Gwinnett County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.