National Mosquito Control Awareness Week runs June 20–26, 2027, just as bite season gets going. It’s a reminder that the best mosquito control starts in your own backyard.
Third Full Week of June
Every year in June, from Sunday through Saturday of the month’s third full week. In 2025 it ran June 15 to 21, and in 2026 it ran June 21 to 27.
Declaring it is the AMCA’s job. That’s the American Mosquito Control Association, whose member districts plan their own local events each year. No federal law sets the week. Towns and counties often issue proclamations of their own.
A 1997 Resolution
Gary Clark, a former AMCA president, drafted a resolution in 1997 calling for a Mosquito Week, a 2007 trade report says.
By 2007 it was in its eleventh year. Back then it was set for the week containing June 26, to honor the date of the association’s founding.
AMCA itself dates to 1935. Its members include the public agencies that trap, test and treat mosquitoes in communities around the country.
Recent weeks have moved to the third full week of June, such as June 19 to 25 in 2022.
Programs vary by place. South Amboy, New Jersey, used the 2025 week to thank mosquito control workers in its state and nationwide.
Why It Matters
West Nile virus is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the contiguous United States, the CDC says.
Most people infected never feel sick. Still, more than 1,300 people a year develop severe illness.
Mosquito season starts in summer and runs through fall, usually June through October, the CDC notes. That’s why the week lands in June.
Other threats are in the mix too. AMCA’s 2026 guide named Eastern equine encephalitis and dengue alongside West Nile. It said children, pregnant women, older adults and people with weak immune systems face the most risk.
Pets count too, since mosquitoes have long troubled animals as well as people. They spread canine heartworm, and horses can catch EEE, so it’s worth asking a vet about protection.
Breeding takes very little water. K-State entomologists warn that one forgotten bucket can produce hundreds of mosquitoes in a short time. NC State adds that even a bottle cap of water can hold larvae.
Young mosquitoes spend 100% of their time in water, passing through three stages before they fly.
Workers stay busy well beyond one week. AMCA says mosquito control professionals monitor disease threats year-round, and Missouri’s Jackson County district traps weekly from spring through fall.
Cut Breeding at Home
Know your local species. In Kansas, for example, Aedes mosquitoes bite by day and breed in small containers, while Culex bite at night and breed in open water.
Dress matters as well. Dark colors can attract mosquitoes, so light, loose clothing is the better choice outdoors at dusk and dawn.
- Tip and toss standing water at least once a week, from flower pots, buckets, tarps and old tires.
- Refresh birdbaths and outdoor pet bowls every few days.
- Clean gutters and downspouts, which are easy to forget.
- Patch holes in window and door screens.
- Fill tree holes, stumps and puddles that hold water for more than a few days.
- Use an EPA-registered repellent with DEET, picaridin or IR3535.
- Report big pools of standing water to your local mosquito control district.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is oil of lemon eucalyptus the same as lemon eucalyptus essential oil?
No. Only the registered oil product works as a repellent.
Who started the week?
A national association of mosquito control professionals.
Does the work stop when summer ends?
Hardly. Districts keep testing for disease and answering calls as long as mosquitoes are active.
Sources
- American Mosquito Control Association – National Mosquito Control Awareness Week
- AMCA – Content guide for National Mosquito Control Awareness Week (2026)
- PCT Online – AMCA declares National Mosquito Control Awareness Week (2007)
- K-State Research and Extension – National Mosquito Control Awareness Week (2026)
- NC State Entomology – Reflecting on the AMCA’s Mosquito Awareness Week (2022)
- CDC – About West Nile Virus
- City of South Amboy – National Mosquito Control Awareness Week (2025)
- Jackson County Vector Control District – National Mosquito Control Awareness Week (2026)