Water-source survey
A walk-through of the property that finds and removes breeding sites. It is often all a small city lot needs, and it is the basis of any other service.
Serving Hennepin County
Mosquito Control in Minneapolis
The district treats public wetlands across seven counties. Yard work covers the standing water and shade it does not reach.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Autumn sealing before the hard freeze
- Price confirmed before treatment
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (855) 974-4733. Or send this and we call you back.
Mosquitoes
Mosquito Control: what it covers
Quick answer
Mosquito control on a Minneapolis property means removing standing water, treating shaded vegetation and, where needed, targeting breeding sites the public program does not cover. The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District treats public wetlands across seven counties. Minneapolis Pest Control connects you with a local technician and confirms the price first.
Of all the pests on this site, mosquitoes are the ones with the clearest start and end. Crews from the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District begin work in spring, one recent year on April 13, and about 200 seasonal staff work daily until around October. Between the first thaw and the first hard frost, the season has a real shape, and it is gone entirely once winter takes the standing water away.
Because a public agency handles the large wetlands, what is left for a homeowner is small but real: the clogged gutter, the flowerpot saucer, the old tire in the garage yard, the shaded corner of a lot where air does not move. This page covers that private side. Minneapolis Pest Control answers its phones 24/7 and passes you to an independent local company; a same-day visit is possible when a technician is free.
- Service area
- Minneapolis & Hennepin County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7
- Phone
- (855) 974-4733
Warning signs
Signs you need mosquito control
Do not spray insecticide on open water, flowering plants that bees visit, or fish ponds, and do not use products indoors that are meant for outdoor use. Follow the label of any product and keep children and pets away until it is dry.
- Mosquitoes biting in the yard at dusk and dawn from late spring through summer
- Wriggling larvae in a bucket, birdbath, tire or planter saucer after a few days of standing water
- A heavy flush of biting insects after a stretch of rain and warm weather
- Insects resting in dense shrubs, tall grass or under a deck in daytime
- Water that stays in a clogged gutter, low spot in the lawn or tarp
- A shaded yard with little breeze and a lot of leaf litter
- A swampy corner beside a downspout that never dries
- Bites that continue indoors because screens or door gaps are failing
Our process
How our mosquito control visit works
Walk the property for water
The technician looks for anything that holds water for more than a few days: gutters, saucers, tarps, tires, buckets, low spots, rain barrels and ornamental ponds without circulation.
Find the resting places
Adult mosquitoes rest in shaded vegetation during the day. The technician notes dense shrubs, tall grass and the undersides of decks.
Remove or treat the water
Water that can be dumped is dumped. Water that must stay, such as a rain barrel, can be screened or treated with a larvicide made for the purpose. The technician explains which product fits the site.
Treat the resting vegetation if needed
A barrier treatment on shrubs and foliage may be used where adults rest. Timing and wind are considered, and pollinator-friendly practices are discussed before a product is applied.
Plan the season
The technician sets out when to repeat the checks as the season builds, and when the district's own work is expected to lower the load.
Cost
How much does mosquito control cost in Minneapolis?
No published Minneapolis price for mosquito work was found, so none is shown. The quote depends on the following.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Lot size and vegetation | Scales with the property | Dense shrubs and wooded edges take longer than an open lawn |
| Number of breeding sites | Set by the survey | Many small containers add time to the walk-through |
| One visit or a season | Priced differently | A single pre-event visit differs from a plan across the warm months |
| Distance to wetlands | Affects pressure | Properties near wetlands or creeks often need more visits |
| Sensitive areas | Affects the method | Pollinator beds, fish ponds and vegetable gardens change the product choice |
These are cost drivers, not prices. Your exact price is confirmed on site before any work starts.
What does the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District do, and what does it leave to me?
The district works across Anoka, Hennepin, Ramsey, Dakota, Scott, Carver and Washington counties, treating public wetlands and urging residents to drain standing water and remove old tires. It does not treat your gutters, containers or shrubs, which is where private work matters.
Think of the district as the large-scale layer, handling the places a homeowner cannot reach. Think of your yard as the small-scale layer, which the district cannot handle.
Our guide to mosquito season in the Twin Cities and what the district treats describes the split in more detail. Its phone number can change, so look it up on its own website.
Why can mosquitoes come back in the fall?
A fall resurgence has followed heavy rain combined with warm weather. Rain refills containers and low spots, and warm days let the next generation develop. District crews wind down around October, so late-season problems fall more on the homeowner.
Local reports from FOX 9 and KROC described heavy mosquito seasons after wet years, and a fall resurgence has followed heavy rain plus warm weather.
If September is wet and warm, repeat the walk-around for water. The first hard frost ends the season, but until then the same checks apply.
What is the single most useful step I can take?
Empty or cover anything that holds water for more than a few days. The district urges draining standing water and removing old tires. A weekly walk-around to tip buckets, saucers and tarps does more than any spray, because larvae cannot develop without water.
It takes ten minutes. Make it part of a regular chore, such as mowing, so it is not forgotten.
Gutters are the hidden one. A gutter clogged with leaves holds water for weeks, and it is out of sight.
- Tip out buckets, toys, planters and saucers
- Clear gutters and downspout extensions
- Cover or remove old tires
- Change birdbath water often
- Fix low spots where water lingers
Is there anything to treat in winter?
No. Mosquito activity ends with the hard frosts and the district's crews finish around October. The useful winter jobs are cleaning gutters before they freeze, storing containers upside down, and planning spring checks. There is nothing to spray in January.
This is a pest with a true off-season, and a plan that bills you for winter visits is not matched to the insect.
A good time to book is April, when crews start and the first water appears after the thaw.
How is a yard near a creek or wetland different?
A yard near wetlands, creeks or parkland sits closer to mosquito breeding water, so adults arrive from outside the property as well as from inside it. Removing your own standing water still helps, but a barrier treatment or a fan on the patio may be needed to make the yard usable.
The district treats public wetlands, which lowers the load, but it cannot treat every pool of meltwater or flooded low spot. After a wet spell, an edge of lawn near a drainage ditch can fill and produce a fresh crop.
Ask the technician to look at where water flows when it rains. A grading problem at the back of a lot is a bigger source than any number of bird baths.
Options
Types and options for mosquito control
Barrier treatment
A residual application to shrubs, fences and shaded areas where adults rest. It reduces the number biting in the yard and is repeated across the season.
Event or seasonal plan
A scheduled visit before an outdoor gathering or a series of visits across the active season. It suits large yards and homes close to wetlands.
Hennepin County
Why mosquito control is different in Twin Cities Metro
The city has lakes, creeks and river edges, and the metro as a whole is the district's service area. Properties near wetlands, parkland and the shore of a creek often see more mosquitoes than blocks of dry streets, though the district's public treatments lower the load there.
Alleys, back lots and the spaces between houses hold clogged gutters, shaded corners and old containers. In older neighborhoods those small features matter more than a large pond.
Because the season is bounded by frost, the work is concentrated in a few warm months. A single well-timed survey in spring, repeated after rainy spells, often accomplishes more than a long contract.
Spring thaw is when meltwater collects in low spots, window wells and tarps left on woodpiles. Walk the yard when the snow is gone and tip out anything that has filled, before warm days begin the season. That one early pass removes some of the first pools the insects can use.
One call and it gets handled.
Most mosquito control calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is free, and you approve the price before any work starts.
Where we work
Mosquito Control across Hennepin County
- Mosquitoes in Minneapolis
- Mosquitoes in Saint Paul
- Mosquitoes in Mendota
- Mosquitoes in Hopkins
- Mosquitoes in Navarre
- Mosquitoes in Minnetonka
- Mosquitoes in Loretto
- Mosquitoes in Osseo
- Mosquitoes in South Saint Paul
- Mosquitoes in Eden Prairie
- Mosquitoes in Circle Pines
- Mosquitoes in Wayzata
- Mosquitoes in Inver Grove Heights
- Mosquitoes in Champlin
- Mosquitoes in Newport
- Mosquitoes in Maple Plain
- Mosquitoes in Chanhassen
- Mosquitoes in Crystal Bay
- Mosquitoes in Savage
- Mosquitoes in Long Lake
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Wasp and Hornet Removal
Nests start small in May, grow through summer and die with the first hard frost. Safe removal from eaves, walls and the ground.
General Pest Control
Seasonal pest control for Twin Cities homes, timed to the October move indoors and the April thaw instead of spread evenly.
Spider Control
House spiders follow their prey into basements, window wells and garages in the cold months, then thin out as the heat returns.
Guides
Read before you book
Mosquito Season in the Twin Cities: What the District Treats and What You Do
The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District covers Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties, concentrating on mosquito larvae in public wetlands, with crews starting in spring and working until about October.
Minneapolis Pest Calendar: What to Watch Each Month
Minneapolis pest pressure has two peaks, not a flat year.
FAQ
Mosquito Control FAQs
Does the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District treat my yard?
No. The district treats public wetlands across seven counties and encourages residents to drain standing water and remove old tires. Private containers, gutters and shrubs are the homeowner's responsibility.
When does mosquito season start and end here?
Crews have begun in spring, one year on April 13, and about 200 seasonal staff work daily until around October. The insects follow the thaw and end with the first hard frost, so the season is bounded and the winter months are genuinely quiet.
Will a barrier spray harm bees?
It can if applied to flowering plants. A careful technician avoids blooms, uses the product only on resting foliage and picks calm weather. Tell the technician about hives or vegetable beds before the visit.
Are mosquitoes worse after a wet year?
Local news reports from FOX 9 and KROC described heavy seasons after wet years and a fall resurgence after heavy rain and warm weather. Standing water is the common link, so checking for it after each rain is sensible.
Can I stop mosquitoes without chemicals?
Removing standing water, clearing gutters, using fans on patios and fixing screens all help. For breeding sites that must stay, a larvicide made for the purpose can be used. A technician can mix these approaches.
Is a monthly mosquito plan sensible?
Within the warm months it can be, especially for larger yards. Outside them there is nothing to treat. Ask for the visits to be placed in the active season and tied to rain and heat, not set by the calendar alone.