Efforts To Thwart Mosquitoes In Pittsburgh Area Underway

PITTSBURGH, PA — As the weather warms in the spring every year, a familiar threat emerges: mosquitoes.

To get out in front of the problems the insects can cause, the Allegheny County Health Department is launching its annual treatment of more than 50 wetlands across 20 municipalities to target mosquito larvae before they ever take flight.

Since the 1970s, the treatment effort has been a cornerstone of the county’s strategy to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus. This year, the program will again use Altosid XR, a biological larvicide recommended by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The product disrupts the life cycle of mosquitoes and midges—stopping them in their larval tracks—without harming humans, pets, fish, or other aquatic life.

“Among our many management practices to control mosquito populations, our annual spring wetland and catch basin treatments are some of the most effective,” said Nick Bladauf, ACHD Vector Control Specialist. “This allows us to stop mosquitoes from ever becoming the flying, biting pests people dread.”

The health department also tackle urban mosquito habitats with a citywide catch basin treatment program. Starting May 19, crews will treat over 13,500 storm drains and catch basins in Pittsburgh and five nearby boroughs—Bellevue, Millvale, McKees Rocks, Mount Oliver and Wilkinsburg.

The shallow, stagnant basins are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Treating them early dramatically reduces the need for adult mosquito spraying later in the season.

People who notice potential mosquito breeding grounds—such as standing water in yards, tire piles, neglected pools, clogged rain gutters or blocked catch basins—are encouraged to file a complaint online or call 412-350-4046.