Aedes aegypti, the Yellow Fever Mosquito

Download this informational flyer to keep at home as a reminder to check your yard regularly or to share with your neighborhood. English or Spanish

Reporting Mosquitoes

• Call 311 for mosquito related questions or to request mosquito services
  • 311 takes requests for mosquito control from Albuquerque and Bernalillo County residents
  • 311 also takes requests for no-spray sites, this is recommended for properties that have beehives
    • A 1000-foot buffer is maintained around the property as a no-spray area. This list is specifically maintained as part of the mosquito control program; other pesticides may be applied in the area by different agencies for different purposes.
      • Buffers are subject to change when public-health concerns are present
    • We also recommend signing up for DriftWatch so that other agencies can also see where your beehives are located (https://nm.driftwatch.org/)

Yellow Fever Mosquito Biology

• Prefer to live near people as humans are their primary blood source
• Commonly found inside homes
• They are considered aggressive biters
  • They are stealthy mosquitoes that feed by approaching from behind and targeting ankles and elbows
• Unlike other mosquitoes in Albuquerque, they are active during the daytime
  • They are most active approximately two hours after sunrise and several hours before sunset. They are known to bite at night in well-lit areas
• Like other mosquitoes, adults of this species rest on vegetation and emerge when disturbed
• They are container breeders and only require a small amount of water during larval development
• Often found breeding in:
  • Rain barrels
  • Bird baths
  • Catch trays for potted plants
  • Buckets
  • Wheelbarrows
  • Gutters
  • Old tires
• Eggs of this species are drought resistant. Meaning that even after dumping water, the eggs can survive for long periods and still be viable when water returns

Disease Concerns

• These mosquitoes are capable of transmitting zika virus, dengue virus, chikungunya virus, and yellow fever
• None of these diseases are currently known to occur in New Mexico

Zika Virus

• According to CDC, no local mosquito-borne Zika virus transmission was reported in the continental United States in 2018
• Mosquitoes that can spread ZIka are found throughout the United States
• Zika is primarily spread through the bite of an infected Aedes aegpyti or Aedes ablopictus mosquito
• Other routes of transmission include:
  • Mother to fetus
  • Unprotected sex
  • Blood transfusion
  • Laboratory/healthcare exposure
• No vaccine is currently available
• Plan for traveling abroad
  • Check the CDC website to see if Zika is active in the country you plan to visit.

Control and Prevention

• Prevent mosquito bites by wearing long sleeves and pants, applying insect repellant, and keeping screens on doors and windows intact
• Be sure not to leave doors open for extended periods of time, as these mosquitoes tend to find their way into homes
• Prevent mosquito breeding in your yard
  • Dump any container holding water
  • Scrub it with a disinfectant to ensure eggs won’t survive
  • If possible, store the container upside down
  • For containers that can’t be dumped, treat the water with an over-the-counter mosquito larvicide
  • For rain barrels, ensure that all openings are covered with a fine mesh screen
  • For ponds, consider adding mosquito fish to control mosquito larvae

Mosquito Surveillance

• The Urban Biology Division conducts regular mosquito monitoring in the Bosque from May-October
• Our monitoring program for Aedes aegypti is focused in residential neighborhoods and may last through November
  • As a newly established program, our monitoring sites shift on a weekly basis
• BG Sentinel traps are placed in the yards of participating citizens for a 24hr period
  • These traps use carbon dioxide and a scent lure to attract mosquitoes seeking a blood meal

For More Information

https://www.cdc.gov/zika/about/

https://nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/zdp/zika/