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The Asian Tiger Mosquito

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is a small black mosquito with white bands on its legs and a single white stripe down its thorax. It bites during the day, breeds in containers as small as a bottle cap, and can spread dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses. Emptying standing water weekly is what reduces it.

Most mosquito advice assumes an insect that arrives at dusk from a swamp somewhere else. Aedes albopictus is black with white bands on the legs, bites in daylight as well as at dawn and dusk, and breeds in water-holding containers as small as a bottle cap. The water it came from is probably on your property.

How do you identify an Asian tiger mosquito?

The CDC lists the distinguishing features of Aedes albopictus as "Black; white bands on the legs; white spots on the body." Its close relative Aedes aegypti, the yellow fever mosquito, is "Dark brown; white bands on the legs; white spots on the body, and stripes on the upper body that look like a lyre."

The California Department of Public Health draws it sharper. Its field guide calls the Asian tiger mosquito "Black, with one white 'racing' stripe on its thorax; white bands on legs," against Ae. aegypti, "Dark brown, with two white stripes in the shape of a lyre on its back." One stripe down the middle, not two curving ones, is the tell. CDPH puts the size of these invasive Aedes species at one eighth to one quarter inch. Not a mosquito? See tick identification.

Why does it bite during the day?

Because that is when it hunts. CDPH states that Ae. aegypti and Ae. albopictus "are aggressive day-biters found both indoors and outdoors" and "especially like to feed on ankles, wrists, and elbows." Its field guide gives the biting window as "Daytime, and near dawn and dusk." In the CDC journal Emerging Infectious Diseases in 2015, CDPH authors agreed: "These mosquitoes are daytime biters, need only small water containers to propagate, and are difficult to eradicate."

Only females bite: per the CDC, "Female mosquitoes need a blood meal to produce eggs." CDPH notes that "even a small number of mosquitoes can become an extreme nuisance," and a 1997 CDC review of the species' first decade in the United States called it "a major biting pest throughout much of its range."

Where does the Asian tiger mosquito breed?

In containers. Not marshes, not ponds, containers. The CDC describes the egg-laying step precisely: "Adult female mosquitoes lay eggs on the inner walls of containers with water, above the waterline," and "Eggs stick to container walls like glue." It adds that "Mosquitoes only need a small amount of water to lay eggs."

The EPA names the same insect. After listing tree holes, old tires, buckets, toys, potted plant trays and saucers, and "places as small as bottle caps," it says "Some of the most annoying and potentially dangerous mosquito species, such as the Asian tiger mosquito, come from these sites." CDPH adds that the species "thrives in urban areas." Two features make the eggs hard to starve out: per the CDC they "can survive drying out for up to 8 months" and "can even survive a winter in the southern United States." Eggs hatch when water covers them, and the CDC puts egg to adult at 7 to 10 days.

Flight range is why this matters to a homeowner. The CDC states that "Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus don't fly long distances. In their lifetime, these mosquitoes will only fly a few blocks." A 2019 mark-release-recapture study in Parasites & Vectors complicates that. In Switzerland, 77.5 percent of the 49 recaptured Ae. albopictus had flown more than 250 metres, "further than previously assumed." Short range, but wider than one yard.

How far has it spread in the United States?

Fast, and probably on trucks. CDC's Emerging Infectious Diseases review reports that established populations "were first discovered in the continental United States in Harris County, Texas, in August 1985," and that the mosquito "probably entered the United States in shipments of used tires from northern Asia." Federal rules followed late. Used tires from infested areas had to be dry, clean, and fumigated starting January 1, 1988, and by then "existing populations had become established in 15 states." Early spread tracked the road network: of 92 infested counties in December 1987, 64 sat on an interstate highway. The authors note the pattern can be explained in other ways.

A CDC-led survey in the Journal of Medical Entomology gives the most recent county tally we could verify. Between January 1995 and March 2016, "1,241 counties from 40 states and the District of Columbia reported occurrence of Ae. albopictus," and the species "was collected during 3 or more years from 514 counties in 34 states and the District of Columbia." A county with no reported records, the authors warn, "should not necessarily be interpreted as the given species being absent."

Cold is less of a barrier than people assume. The CDC says Ae. albopictus "can live in a broader temperature range and at cooler temperatures than Ae. aegypti," and the same survey notes it can establish "overwintering populations farther north." CDPH researchers reported that after a 2011 detection in Los Angeles County, surveillance documented spread "to 12 surrounding cities." The CDC cautions that its range maps "do not represent risk for spread of disease."

What diseases can Aedes albopictus transmit?

The CDC lists this mosquito's record as "Spreading dengue, Zika, chikungunya," with an important qualifier attached: "because these mosquitoes feed on animals as well as people, they are less likely to spread these and other viruses than the Aedes aegypti." CDC's vector control manual adds yellow fever to that list, footnoting Ae. albopictus as an "Unproven vector of yellow fever virus."

Laboratory competence runs broader than field evidence. CDC's 1997 review found the species to be a competent experimental vector of seven alphaviruses, including chikungunya and eastern equine encephalitis, and of flaviviruses including all four dengue serotypes, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile, and yellow fever. It concluded, at the time, that "evidence is lacking to incriminate Ae. albopictus as the vector of even a single case of human disease in the United States." In 2001, researchers reported "the first isolation of LAC virus from naturally infected Ae. albopictus mosquitoes," collected around patients' homes in Tennessee and North Carolina, and concluded it "may become an important accessory vector of LAC virus."

The CDC says recent U.S. outbreaks of chikungunya and dengue "have been relatively small and limited to a small area." For La Crosse virus, most infected people have no symptoms, severe disease "occurs most often in children under 16 years old," and "No vaccines or medicines are available to prevent La Crosse." For dengue, symptoms typically last 2 to 7 days, "About 1 in 20 people who get sick with dengue will develop severe dengue," and "Severe dengue is a medical emergency."

What actually reduces Asian tiger mosquitoes around a home?

Source reduction. The CDC's home guidance leads with it: "Once a week, empty and scrub, turn over, cover, or throw out any items that hold water like tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths, flowerpot saucers, or trash containers." The scrubbing is not decoration. Eggs are glued to the walls above the waterline, so tipping the bucket leaves them behind.

The rest of the CDC's list:

  • Tightly cover buckets, cisterns, and rain barrels so mosquitoes cannot get inside to lay eggs.
  • For containers without lids, use wire mesh with holes smaller than an adult mosquito.
  • Fill tree holes to prevent them from filling with water.
  • Repair cracks or gaps in a septic tank, and cover open vent or plumbing pipes.
  • Use larvicides on water that cannot be covered or dumped out, always following label instructions.

Indoors, the CDC gives the same weekly instruction for vases and flowerpot saucers, plus screens and air conditioning, noting that "Mosquitoes entering your house from outdoors can start laying eggs indoors."

The EPA frames the same strategy in cost terms. "The greatest impact on mosquito populations will occur when they are concentrated, immobile and accessible," and "Egg and larva interventions are generally the most effective, least costly, way to control mosquitoes." It is honest about the ceiling: those interventions are "unlikely to be 100% effective." Neighbors matter, and the EPA calls community involvement "essential." For water you cannot dump, the CDC says homeowners can use larvicide dunks or bits, following the label.

For personal protection, the CDC recommends EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone. It tells consumers to "Look for an EPA registration number (EPA Reg. No.) on the insect repellent product label," follow label instructions, and reapply as directed. It also recommends loose-fitting long sleeves and pants, and permethrin-treated clothing and gear, which it says should not be used directly on skin. The CDC recommends active ingredients, not brands.

When should you call someone?

Two different calls. For the mosquitoes, CDPH says to "Contact your local vector control agency if you detect unusual numbers of mosquitoes or you are being bitten during the day," though the CDC notes that "Mosquito control efforts and capabilities vary across the United States." For symptoms, the CDC says to see your healthcare provider if you have signs of dengue and live in or recently traveled to an area with risk, and to go straight to a clinic or emergency room for warning signs of severe dengue. Diagnosis belongs with a clinician, not a website.

Where Longsleeve fits

Longsleeve is an EPA-registered picaridin lotion (EPA Reg. No. 101457-1). It repels mosquitoes and ticks for up to 14 hours. It is fragrance-free, with nine disclosed ingredients.

Common questions

How do I tell an Asian tiger mosquito from a yellow fever mosquito?

Look at the back. CDPH describes Aedes albopictus as black with one white "racing" stripe on its thorax, and Aedes aegypti as dark brown with two stripes shaped like a lyre.

Do they really bite in the middle of the day?

Yes. CDPH calls both invasive Aedes species "aggressive day-biters found both indoors and outdoors." The CDC says Aedes species mosquitoes can bite during the day and night.

How small a container can they breed in?

Very small. The EPA lists breeding sites down to "places as small as bottle caps." The CDC says the eggs can survive drying out for up to 8 months.

If I dump the water, will they come back from somewhere else?

Less than you would think. The CDC says these mosquitoes do not fly long distances and will only fly a few blocks in their lifetime. The EPA notes that habitat removal alone is unlikely to be 100 percent effective and calls community involvement essential. We publish the primary-source backing for claims like these on our facts page.

Sources

  1. CDC, Life Cycle of Aedes Mosquitoes. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/life-cycle-of-aedes-mosquitoes.html
  2. CDC, Mosquito Control at Home. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/mosquito-control/mosquito-control-at-home.html
  3. CDC, Preventing Mosquito Bites. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/prevention/index.html
  4. CDC, Larvicides. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/mosquito-control/larvicides.html
  5. CDC, What Mosquito Control Programs Do. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/mosquito-control/mosquito-control-programs.html
  6. CDC, About Mosquitoes. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/index.html
  7. CDC, Potential Range of Aedes Mosquitoes. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/php/toolkit/potential-range-of-aedes.html
  8. CDC, CDC's Most (un)Wanted Mosquitoes. https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/stories/unwanted-mosquitoes.html
  9. CDC, How Dengue Spreads. https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/transmission/index.html
  10. CDC, Symptoms of Dengue and Testing. https://www.cdc.gov/dengue/signs-symptoms/index.html
  11. CDC, About La Crosse Virus. https://www.cdc.gov/la-crosse-encephalitis/about/index.html
  12. CDC, Surveillance and Control of Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus in the United States. https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/pdfs/mosquito-control-508.pdf
  13. Aedes albopictus in the United States: Ten-Year Presence and Public Health Implications. Emerging Infectious Diseases, Volume 3, Number 3, September 1997. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/3/3/97-0309_article
  14. Gerhardt RR, Gottfried KL, Apperson CS, Davis BS, Erwin PC, Smith AB, Panella NA, Powell EE, Nasci RS. First Isolation of La Crosse Virus from Naturally Infected Aedes albopictus. Emerging Infectious Diseases, Volume 7, Number 5, October 2001. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/7/5/01-7506_article
  15. Porse CC, Kramer VL, Yoshimizu MH, Metzger ME, Hu R, Padgett K, Vugia D. Public Health Response to Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus Mosquitoes Invading California, USA. Emerging Infectious Diseases, Volume 21, Number 10, October 2015. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/21/10/15-0494_article
  16. Hahn MB, Eisen RJ, Eisen L, Boegler KA, Moore CG, McAllister J, Savage HM, Mutebi JP. Reported Distribution of Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti and Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus in the United States, 1995 to 2016 (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of Medical Entomology, 2016;53(5):1169-1175. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/120311/cdc_120311_DS1.pdf
  17. Active dispersal of Aedes albopictus: a mark-release-recapture study using self-marking units. Parasites & Vectors, 2019. doi:10.1186/s13071-019-3837-5. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6909613/
  18. EPA, General Information about Mosquitoes. https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/general-information-about-mosquitoes
  19. EPA, Success in Mosquito Control: An Integrated Approach. https://www.epa.gov/mosquitocontrol/success-mosquito-control-integrated-approach
  20. California Department of Public Health, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Mosquitoes. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Aedes-aegypti-and-Aedes-albopictus-mosquitoes.aspx
  21. California Department of Public Health, Guide to Important Mosquitoes in California. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/GuidetoImportantMosquitoesinCA.pdf
  22. California Department of Public Health, Invasive Mosquitoes brochure. https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/CDPH%20Document%20Library/InvasiveMosquitoesBrochure.pdf

Last reviewed 2026-08-06 · every claim on this page is sourced above