Mosquito Larvae: How to Spot Them and What to Do
Learn what mosquito larvae look like, where they develop, and how to respond to standing water around your Atlanta property.
The AMC Mosquito backyard guide
Mosquito Larvae in Your Pool: What to Check First
If you find mosquito larvae, check whether they are in the pool itself, in rainwater on the cover or in nearby containers. Each needs a different response. Start with pool maintenance and safe water removal, not a yard spray added to the water.
Find the water they are actually using.
CDC lists non-chlorinated pools and water collected on pool covers as possible mosquito breeding sites. A maintained swimming pool and a neglected pool are not the same situation.
Look at cover puddles, buckets, toys and planter saucers around the deck. Bites near the pool do not prove mosquitoes developed in the swimming water. If identification is uncertain, take a photo of the moving organisms from a safe position.
Recognize mosquito larvae and pupaeIf the larvae are in the swimming water.
Have the pool water and equipment checked. CDC recommends maintaining disinfectant and pH, checking them regularly and following pool chemical directions. Ask your pool professional to restore the maintenance routine before using a neglected pool.
There is no universal two-hour pump setting that fixes every pool. Do not use the absence of visible larvae as a test that the water is ready for swimming. Pool sanitation and mosquito control have different jobs.
CDC: keeping your pool safe and healthyIf the water is on the cover.
Remove collected water using the method recommended for your cover. Arrange repair if it sags, tears or repeatedly traps water. Work from a safe position and ask a pool professional if you cannot reach it safely.
Avoid draining an in-ground pool simply to remove mosquitoes. Ask your pool professional about the right approach for the pool structure and conditions. Keep checking a closed pool and its cover rather than leaving them unattended all winter.
Small kiddie pools need a different routine.
CDC recommends emptying small inflatable or plastic kiddie pools at least daily, cleaning them and letting them air-dry. These small pools are not maintained like a filtered swimming pool. Put them away so rain cannot refill them.
Keep that routine separate from advice for a larger pool with filtration. Follow the equipment instructions for the type of pool you have.
CDC: small inflatable and plastic poolsDo mosquito dunks belong in a pool?
Do not assume a larvicide is suitable for swimming water. CDC recommends larvicides for non-drinking water that cannot be covered, emptied or removed, with use governed by the product label. Get advice for the exact water source before adding anything.
Never add yard insecticide, dish soap or an improvised pesticide mix to swimming water. We can help assess mosquito sources around the yard while your pool professional handles pool maintenance.
Pool care and yard mosquito controlSources & further reading
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More backyard answers.
A Practical Patio Checklist for Fewer Mosquito Problems
Walk the patio from planters to doors before buying another product. A few regular checks can help you spot water and shelter mosquitoes use.
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