Aedes Aegypti Mosquito
Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, is a small black-and-white mosquito that lives around people, bites during the day and breeds in the water that collects in flower pots, buckets, gutters and bromeliads. It still thrives in urban South Florida, and it is the main mosquito that can spread dengue, Zika and chikungunya, which is why county mosquito control programs watch it so closely.
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What Is the Aedes Aegypti Mosquito?
Aedes aegypti is known as the yellow fever mosquito, after the disease it is best known for transmitting. It is one of the most important mosquitoes in the world for public health, and it is one of the three species Miami-Dade Mosquito Control typically sees and monitors, along with the Asian tiger mosquito and the black salt marsh mosquito. For an overview of all the species in our area, see our guide to mosquitoes in South Florida.
Unlike many mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti is a “domestic” species. The CDC notes that it lives in urban areas and bites, rests and lays eggs both indoors and outdoors, and that it strongly prefers to bite humans. Its larvae develop mainly in man-made containers in or very near homes.
Its history in Florida has changed over the past 40 years. When the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) arrived in Florida in 1986, Aedes aegypti populations declined dramatically across much of the state; Asian tiger larvae outcompete Aedes aegypti larvae and develop faster. But Aedes aegypti still thrives in the urban areas of South Florida. In the Florida Keys, it is the most common container-breeding mosquito, especially in urban areas. Hot weather, frequent rain and neighborhoods packed with flower pots, planters, patios and bromeliads give it everything it needs in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe counties.
How to Identify Aedes Aegypti
Aedes aegypti is a small to medium mosquito, about 4 to 7 millimeters long. Key features:
- Lyre-shaped marking: silvery-white scales on the thorax form a lyre shape, a pair of curved outer lines with two thin lines in the middle.
- Striped legs: white bands at the base of the leg segments, so the legs look striped.
- Dark body: the abdomen is dark brown to black, sometimes with white scales.
- Males vs. females: females are larger and have palps tipped with silver or white scales. Males have feathery antennae and do not bite.
Aedes aegypti vs. Asian tiger mosquito: both are black and white with banded legs, but the Asian tiger mosquito has a single bright white stripe down the center of its back instead of a lyre. The tiger mosquito is more of an outdoor, garden mosquito and an aggressive biter; Aedes aegypti is more likely to follow you inside.
Aedes aegypti vs. Culex: the southern house mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) is plain brown without white stripes and bites from dusk to dawn rather than during the day.
Life Cycle and Behavior
Like all mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti passes through four stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult.
- Eggs: after a blood meal, a female lays about 100 to 200 eggs per batch, depending on the size of the meal, and can produce up to five batches in her lifetime. She lays them one at a time on damp surfaces likely to flood, such as the inside walls of a container just above the waterline, often spreading one batch across two or more sites. The eggs can survive drying out for months; the CDC says up to 8 months. That is why a dry flower pot can produce mosquitoes days after the next rain.
- Larvae: the eggs hatch when water covers them. The larvae, called wigglers, live in the water, feed on tiny organic particles and molt through four stages. In warm water, the last stage lasts only up to about three days.
- Pupae: pupae do not feed and take about two days to develop into adults.
- Adults: the CDC says an egg takes about 7 to 10 days to become an adult, and Miami-Dade County notes it can take about seven days or even less in warm weather. Adults live roughly two weeks to a month, depending on conditions.
Both sexes feed on nectar, but females need blood to produce eggs, and they bite mostly people. UF/IFAS describes females as active during the day, biting readily indoors and outdoors.
Aedes aegypti does not travel far. The CDC says it flies only a few blocks during its lifetime, and a 2022 meta-analysis published in the Journal of Medical Entomology estimated an average flight distance of about 106 meters (roughly 350 feet). In practice, the mosquitoes biting you were probably born within a short walk of where you are standing.
Signs of an Aedes Aegypti Problem
- Bites during the day while you sit on a patio, garden or pool deck, or even indoors.
- Small black-and-white mosquitoes with striped legs around you during daylight hours.
- Mosquitoes inside the house even when doors and windows are usually closed.
- Wigglers in flower pot saucers, buckets, birdbaths, pet bowls, gutters or the cups of bromeliads.
- More bites a few days after rain or after the irrigation system runs.
Why Aedes Aegypti Is a Problem
Beyond the itchy bites, Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of yellow fever and an important vector of dengue, chikungunya and Zika viruses. The CDC calls it the main dengue vector worldwide, and its strong preference for biting people makes it a very effective vector.
The Florida Department of Health tracks these viruses in a weekly arbovirus surveillance report. Most dengue and chikungunya cases in Florida are associated with travel, but Florida has recorded locally acquired dengue in Miami-Dade in recent years, and the department issues mosquito-borne illness advisories and alerts for affected counties when local cases are found.
South Florida has seen what this mosquito can do. In the summer of 2016, a Miami-Dade neighborhood had the first recognized outbreak of mosquito-borne Zika transmission in the continental United States. The CDC reported 29 people with evidence of recent infection linked to an area of about six blocks, and Aedes aegypti was identified as the primary vector. No new cases were identified after intensive mosquito control.
Most bites do not cause illness, but reducing Aedes aegypti around your home lowers the chances of being bitten by an infected mosquito. If you feel sick after travel or mosquito bites, see a doctor.
Where Aedes Aegypti Hides in South Florida Homes and Businesses
Aedes aegypti breeds in small amounts of water in artificial containers, and UF/IFAS notes that as little as half a cup of water can breed enough mosquitoes to cause a problem. Check these spots around your property:
- Flower pots, plant saucers and overflow dishes under potted plants.
- Buckets, coolers, toys, tin cans, bottle caps and trash can lids.
- Spare tires and old tires.
- Rain barrels, birdbaths, fountains and pet water bowls.
- Clogged gutters, flat roofs, AC drip lines and tarps or boat covers that sag and hold water.
- Swimming pools that are not maintained and covers that collect rain.
- Tank bromeliads: a University of Miami study with Miami-Dade Mosquito Control found Aedes aegypti was the most abundant species breeding in bromeliads in Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach County lists it among the most common mosquitoes found in bromeliads there.
Adults rest in shaded areas near where they breed, outdoors in shrubs and around patios and indoors in the home. On commercial properties such as restaurants, hotels, hospitals and apartment complexes, planters, decorative fountains, drains and stored containers are common sources; our commercial services team inspects them as part of a regular plan.
When Aedes Aegypti Is Most Active in South Florida
| Season | Aedes aegypti activity | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| December to February (dry season) | Fewer adults, but eggs survive dry in containers and hatch after any rain or irrigation; mosquito activity slows near 60°F. | Empty and scrub containers and get rid of items you don't need. |
| March to May | Populations build with heat, irrigation and the first storms. | Start weekly Drain and Cover checks and treat or flush bromeliads. |
| June to September (peak rainy season) | Peak breeding; a new generation can develop in about a week after each rain. | Empty water every few days, especially after storms, and schedule regular treatment. |
| October to November | Still active in warm weather; storm debris and blocked gutters hold water. | Clean up hurricane debris quickly and clear gutters and drains. |
How to Prevent Aedes Aegypti
Because Aedes aegypti breeds in containers and does not fly far, what you do on your own property makes a real difference. Follow the Florida Department of Health’s Drain and Cover advice:
- Turn over or remove empty flower pots, buckets, toys and anything that can hold water, and get rid of old tires.
- Empty overflow dishes under potted plants and change birdbath water often; clean pet bowls daily.
- Scrub containers you refill at least once a week, as the CDC advises, since females lay their eggs on the inside walls just above the waterline.
- Keep gutters clear and fix sagging tarps and covers.
- Maintain pools and keep the water chlorinated; empty plastic pools when not in use.
- Flush tank bromeliads with a strong stream of water at least once a week, or treat them with a Bti or methoprene larvicide following the label. UF/IFAS notes that the evidence does not support removing bromeliads.
- Use repellent containing DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 and wear long sleeves and pants, even during the day.
- Repair screens on windows, doors and patios.
Report heavy mosquito activity to your county as well: Miami-Dade and Broward residents can call 311, and Palm Beach County takes requests at 561-967-6480. In the Keys, the Florida Keys Mosquito Control District has tested a new tool against this species: in 2021 it began releasing Oxitec’s genetically modified male Aedes aegypti in small areas of Cudjoe, Ramrod and Vaca Key. Male mosquitoes do not bite, and these males were designed to father only male offspring. The district reported that the released males successfully found and mated with wild females, and that the release phase ended in summer 2024.
How Toro Gets Rid of Aedes Aegypti
- Container-by-container inspectionA Toro technician checks your yard, patio, roof drainage and landscaping for every container, bromeliad and low spot that can hold water, and shows you which ones to remove or change.
- Confirm the speciesWe confirm that daytime biting is coming from Aedes mosquitoes and find the shaded resting areas around your home or business where adults wait between bites.
- Targeted mosquito treatmentOur mosquito treatment targets breeding sites and resting areas on your property, applied according to label directions.
- Ongoing protectionA new generation can develop after every rain, so regular visits during the rainy season keep numbers down. If the bugs come back, so will Toro, at no additional cost to you, under our 110% Satisfaction Guarantee.
Toro Pest Management has served South Florida since 1969, and our technicians train at the TORO Institute at our Miami headquarters with on-staff entomologists. We respond within 24 hours, guaranteed, and offer a free inspection with $25 off your first service. Call 305-594-4767. Hablamos Español.
Seeing signs of aedes aegypti mosquito? Get a free inspection and $25 off your first service.
Schedule Your Free InspectionAedes aegypti mosquito: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if a mosquito is Aedes aegypti?
Look at the back of the thorax, just behind the head. Aedes aegypti has silvery-white scales in the shape of a lyre, a curved pattern with two lines in the middle, plus white bands on its legs. The Asian tiger mosquito looks similar but has a single white stripe down the center. A mosquito that bites you indoors or in broad daylight around the house is likely an Aedes mosquito.
What time of day does Aedes aegypti bite?
Aedes aegypti is a daytime biter. UF/IFAS notes that females are active during the day and bite readily both indoors and outdoors. The CDC adds that mosquitoes spreading dengue bite during the day and at night, so protection matters at any hour, but if you are being bitten on a sunny afternoon, Aedes is the likely culprit. The CDC also calls it a sneaky biter.
Does Aedes aegypti carry diseases in Florida?
It can. Aedes aegypti is the primary vector of dengue, Zika, chikungunya and yellow fever. Most cases in Florida are travel-related, but Florida has recorded locally acquired dengue in Miami-Dade in recent years. In 2016, Aedes aegypti spread Zika in a Miami-Dade neighborhood in the first recognized outbreak of its kind in the continental United States.
Where does Aedes aegypti lay its eggs?
Females lay eggs one at a time on the inside walls of containers, just above the waterline, and spread a batch across two or more sites. Typical spots are flower pots and saucers, buckets, tires, rain barrels, clogged gutters, birdbaths, pet bowls, untreated pools and tank bromeliads. The eggs hatch when rain or sprinklers raise the water level and cover them.
How far does Aedes aegypti fly?
Not far. The CDC says Aedes aegypti flies only a few blocks during its lifetime, and a 2022 analysis of 38 mark-release-recapture studies put its average flight distance at about 106 meters, roughly 350 feet. That means the mosquitoes biting you were probably born on your property or a neighbor's, which is why removing containers makes such a difference.
Do bromeliads cause mosquitoes?
Tank bromeliads hold water in their center and leaf bases, and a University of Miami and Miami-Dade Mosquito Control study found Aedes aegypti was the most abundant mosquito breeding in them. You don't need to remove them: UF/IFAS recommends flushing them with a strong hose stream at least weekly or treating the water with a Bti or methoprene larvicide according to the label.
Will spraying get rid of Aedes aegypti?
Spraying alone usually is not enough. Palm Beach County mosquito control notes that aerial and ground spraying has little effect on container breeders like Aedes aegypti, which are best controlled by removing standing water. The most effective approach combines removing or treating containers with targeted treatment of the shaded areas where adults rest, repeated through the rainy season.
Related Pests
Pest Control Across South Florida
Toro treats aedes aegypti mosquito in homes and businesses throughout Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, including:
- Miami
- Hialeah
- Doral
- Miami Beach
- Coral Gables
- Homestead
- Fort Lauderdale
- Hollywood
- Pembroke Pines
- Miramar
- Boca Raton
- West Palm Beach
Last updated: October 29, 2026
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