Mosquito Control

For information about the West Nile Virus disease, symptoms, treatment and more, click the link below.
West Nile Virus »  

Seasonally, mosquito populations cause both a major nuisance and the potential of mosquito-borne diseases throughout Illinois.  To help combat these, the Township has an ongoing mosquito abatement program. Our abatement program has been in place since 1977, making it one of the longest standing and most comprehensive abatement programs in DuPage County. In 1999, Bloomingdale Township became one of the first townships in Illinois to provide township-wide coverage, providing mosquito control for all the incorporated and the unincorporated residents.

This service is provided by a contract between Clarke Environmental Mosquito Management, Inc. and Bloomingdale Township. Typically spraying begins in the spring and continues at regular intervals throughout the year until late fall, dependent on weather conditions and testing results.  Clarke has created a fantastic user portal at Mosquito Portal, allowing any resident to report unusually high annoyance levels, areas of standing water, or even to register for service notifications by text or email.  Additionally, Clarke has a mosquito hotline available directly at (800) 942-2555.

Mosquito ControlOur responsibility to you…

To abate existing mosquito breeding sources.

To prevent new breeding sites so you can fully use and enjoy your backyard and other municipal recreational facilities.

Breeding sources we control are created by standing water, which may be found in street catch-basins, subdivision drains, roadside ditches, flood channels, ravines and other public rights-of-way. Routine larviciding, done as necessary throughout the season, will keep mosquito populations in check.

It is our responsibility to work with whatever local, state or federal agencies may be involved to keep these areas abated.

Your Responsibility as a Property Owner…

  • To clear your property of any potential breeding sites.
  • To prevent any problem areas from reoccurring.

Mosquitoes are an all too familiar summer nuisance. They are not only annoying, but they are transmitters of encephalitis, malaria and yellow fever to humans, and heartworm to pets. You can take simple, positive steps to reduce this menace right at home, since many generations of mosquitoes can breed right in your own yard.

Yard and Home ChecklistYard & Home Checklist:

  • Get rid of old tires, tin cans, buckets, drums, bottles or any other water-holding containers.
  • Fill in or drain any low places (puddles, ruts) in yard.
  • Keep drains, ditches and culverts clean of weeds and trash so water will drain properly.
  • Cover trash containers to keep out rain water.
  • Repair leaky pipes and outside faucets.
  • Empty plastic wading pool at least once a week and store it indoors when not is use.
  • Make sure your backyard pool is properly cared for while on vacation.
  • Fill in tree rot holes and hollow stumps that hold water with sand or concrete.
  • Change the water in birdbaths and plant pots or drip trays at least once each week.
  • Keep grass cut short and shrubbery well trimmed around the house so adult mosquitoes will not hide there.

Standing water means you could be raising mosquitoes!

Adult flying mosquitoes often rest in tall grass and shrubbery, but they cannot develop there. All mosquitoes need water to complete their life cycle.

Some mosquitoes lay their eggs in standing water where they hatch in just a day or two. Other mosquitoes may lay their eggs in old tires, tin cans, or other water-holding containers. The eggs may remain unhatched for weeks or even months until they are covered with water.

So, after any significant rainfall remember to remove any standing water from your yard and help keep mosquitoes from hatching.

Together we can eliminate potential breeding grounds and increase our enjoyment of the great outdoors. Reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home and avoid mosquito bites by practicing the precautions of the three "R's" - reduce, repel, & report.

  • REDUCE exposure - avoid being outdoors when mosquitoes are most active, especially between dusk and dawn.
    • Make sure doors and windows have tight-fitting screens. Repair or replace screens with tears or other openings. Try to keep doors and windows shut, especially at night.
    • Eliminate all sources of standing water where mosquitoes can breed, including water in bird baths, ponds, flowerpots, wading pools, old tires and any other receptacles.
  • REPEL - Apply insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR 3535, according to label instructions. Consult a physician before using repellents on infants.
  • REPORT - Report areas of stagnant water in roadside ditches, flooded yards, backyard storm drains or catch basins and similar locations that may produce mosquitoes to the Resident Portal at Mosquito Portal or call the mosquito hotline at (800) 942-2555.

Hot and dry summers, like that of 2012, actually increase the risk of the West Nile Virus (WNV) per public health officials. The species known to carry WNV, the northern house mosquito (Culex pipiens) typically flourishes during hotter and drier weather conditions, where stagnant water rests undistubed. See our separate page for much more information and helpful links about WNV and how to help protect from it.

West Nile Virus page 

Other Mosquito Links: