Keep Your Home & Yard Mosquito-Free

Take a look at the image below. How many mosquito breeding areas can you find around your home?

Keep Your Swimming Pool Mosquito-Free

Residents are required to maintain their swimming pools & spas in a manner that prevents mosquito-breeding potential from April 1-October 31. The following are options for maintaining compliance:

Open the pool

When a pool is open for use with active disinfection and filtration, no other action needs to be taken.

Cover the pool

When a pool cover (either solid or mesh) is 100% dry on the surface, is free of holes or tears and is securely fitted to the pool, no other action needs to be taken. If there is water on the cover:

• Remove ALL of the water
• Treat the cover with a larvicide*

If the cover has holes or tears, mosquitoes can still access the water in the pool. If using a larvicide, both the pool water and the top of the cover must be treated, in this case. 

Empty the pool

When there is no functional cover available and the pool is not being disinfected and filtered:

• Empty the pool and keep it free of all water
• Treat the pool water with a larvicide*
• Stock the pool with a Department-approved fish species
  Click Here for information on Mosquito-Eating Fish

*Larvicides are designed to kill mosquitoes at the larval stage before they can become flying, biting adults. If you choose to use a larvicide, a copy of the product's label must be conspicuously posted along with the date of application, applicator's name/phone number and amount of product used. ALWAYS follow the product's label instructions.

Property owners may treat their own property with general use larvicide(s). To treat someone else's property with a larvicide, you must be appropriately licensed by NYSDEC.