Is mosquito control free in Sacramento?
Yes, in most cases. The Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District is a public agency that covers all of Sacramento and Yolo counties, and it offers free mosquito home inspections and free mosquitofish. You can request service by phone at 1-800-429-1022 (Monday to Friday, 7:00 am to 3:30 pm) or on the district's website.
The district was formed in 1946 and works in 27 zones with trained field technicians, according to its 2024 annual report. Before you pay anyone, call the district. It is the first stop for a mosquito problem in Sacramento, Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova, Davis, Woodland and every other city in the two counties.
What does the Sacramento-Yolo mosquito district actually do?
The district's main work is stopping mosquitoes while they are still larvae. Its technicians inspect breeding sources year-round and apply a larvicide or release mosquitofish where they find mosquitoes. It also treats storm drains and neglected swimming pools.
When West Nile virus is detected or mosquito numbers get high, technicians use truck-mounted foggers and backpack sprayers on the ground. The district also runs aerial treatments over agricultural mosquito sources. You can sign up on its website for spraying notices by zip code.
To help the technician identify the species, the district asks callers to catch a sample. Swat a live mosquito gently and put it in a small plastic bag. It also takes reports of dead birds at 1-877-968-2473, which help track West Nile virus.
- Free home inspection if mosquitoes are biting you
- Free mosquitofish for ponds, troughs and other water that can't be drained
- Neglected or green pool reports, handled online or by phone
- Ground and aerial spraying when disease activity or mosquito numbers call for it
What won't the district do?
The district says it does not offer control for mites and fleas. It also does not do structural pest control, so rats, ants, cockroaches, termites and nests inside walls are outside its work.
The district says control of mosquitoes in their larval stages is the backbone of most mosquito control programs in California. That means most of its work targets the water where mosquitoes breed, not the adults flying around your patio.
When does a private company make sense for mosquitoes?
Use a private company when the free route doesn't solve your problem or doesn't fit your timing. Three situations come up most often: you want temporary relief from adult mosquitoes before an event, the source is on a large property that needs repeated work, or you also have another pest the district doesn't handle.
Be realistic about what yard sprays do. UC IPM says outdoor insecticide sprays and repellent devices vary widely in effectiveness and can reduce adult mosquitoes only temporarily, with no lasting effect. It says management should focus on controlling larvae and standing water. If a company offers a spray program, ask what product it uses, how often it returns and how long relief should last, and get the answers in writing.
No public source tracks private mosquito service prices in Sacramento, so this page doesn't quote a range. Compare written quotes from two or three companies.
Why are day-biting mosquitoes a Sacramento issue now?
If you're bitten in the daytime, it may be an invasive Aedes mosquito rather than the usual dusk and dawn biters. The district says Aedes aegypti was first detected in Sacramento County in 2019 and in Yolo County in 2020. These mosquitoes are aggressive daytime biters, and they breed in small containers of water around homes.
The district's 2024 annual report says Aedes aegypti is established in several places across Sacramento and Yolo counties, with the largest infestations in areas such as Rosemont, south Natomas, Land Park and Arden-Arcade, plus Winters, Woodland and Davis. Technicians inspected 1,493 homes after contacting more than 5,000, and made nearly 1,400 localized backyard adulticide applications. The district asks residents to report day-biting mosquitoes.
What can I do myself to cut down mosquitoes?
Dump standing water. UC IPM says mosquito larvae grow in anything that holds water, and that control works best at the larval stage. The district's invasive mosquito brochure says backyards are the top source of mosquito production and that anything holding water for more than a few days can produce them.
- Empty plant saucers, buckets, toys and unused pots each week
- Change water in pet dishes and bird baths every week and scrub them
- Clear leaves from rain gutters and keep rain barrels screened
- Keep pools treated and filtered, and drain or cover kiddie pools
- Repair window and door screens
- Use repellents with DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus, and follow the label
What about a neglected pool next door?
Report it. The district says one neglected pool can produce thousands of mosquitoes and put a whole neighborhood at risk for West Nile virus. Technicians can add mosquitofish or a larvicide to stop breeding, even if the water stays green.
If you own a green pool, don't shock it with chlorine after fish go in. The district says chlorine kills the mosquitofish and lets mosquitoes breed again.
I live outside Sacramento and Yolo counties. Who handles mosquitoes?
Cities in Placer County, such as Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Auburn, Loomis and Granite Bay, are served by the Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District at (916) 380-5444 or (888) 768-2343. El Dorado County's vector control district serves the Lake Tahoe basin, so west-slope towns should call El Dorado County Environmental Management at (530) 621-5300 to ask what is available.
How do I check a private company's license?
The license depends on the work. The Structural Pest Control Board licenses companies that control household pests and wood-destroying pests in and around structures. The Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) says structural pest control for hire is licensed by the Board, not by DPR, while other businesses that apply pesticides for hire need a DPR pest control business license.
So ask the company which license covers the mosquito work and look it up. Use the Board's license search or the DCA License Search for structural work, and DPR's list of licensees for others. Ask for the product name in writing before anyone sprays.
| Need | Public district (Sacramento-Yolo) | Private company |
|---|---|---|
| Mosquito bites at home | Free home inspection, 1-800-429-1022 | Only if the free route doesn't solve it |
| Pond, trough or standing water | Free mosquitofish when there's a need | Not usually needed |
| Green or neglected pool | Takes reports; adds fish or larvicide | Pool service cleans and filters the water |
| Adult mosquitoes in the yard | Targeted ground spraying when disease or numbers call for it | Temporary yard sprays; UC IPM says no lasting effect |
| Mites and fleas | No control offered | Local exterminator |
| Rats, ants, roaches, termites | Not district work | Local exterminator, licensed by the Structural Pest Control Board |
Need an exterminator in the Sacramento area?
Call to talk to a local exterminator, describe the job and get a quote before any work starts. The call is free.
Frequently asked questions
Does Sacramento County offer free mosquito control?
Who do I call about mosquitoes in Sacramento?
Does the district spray my yard for mosquitoes?
Do mosquito misting and spray services work?
What should I do about a green pool in my neighborhood?
Sources
- Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District home page (free home inspection, free mosquitofish) — Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District
- Service Around Your Home (service requests, mosquitofish, yellowjacket control, dead birds) — Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District
- About Us (district history and service area) — Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District
- Pool Program (neglected swimming pools, mosquitofish) — Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District
- 2024 Annual Report — Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District
- Invasive Mosquito Species of California (brochure) — Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District
- West Nile Virus — Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District
- Pest Notes: Mosquitoes (Publication 7451) — UC Statewide IPM Program
- About the Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District (brochure) — Placer Mosquito and Vector Control District
- Environmental Management: Vector Control District — County of El Dorado
- What is Structural Pest Control? — California Structural Pest Control Board
- Search For A License — California Structural Pest Control Board
- DCA License Search — California Department of Consumer Affairs
- Apply for a License (who needs a DPR license) — California Department of Pesticide Regulation
- Lists of DPR Licensees — California Department of Pesticide Regulation