Quick answer
The Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is a small, black mosquito with bright white stripes on its legs and a single white stripe down the middle of its back. Unlike most backyard mosquitoes, it bites during the day, with peaks in the early morning and late afternoon, and it tends to go for your ankles first. It breeds in small containers of water, such as saucers, buckets, tires and clogged gutters, and it usually flies only about 300 feet from where it hatched. That last fact is the key to controlling it: if tiger mosquitoes are biting you, they were almost certainly born in your yard or a neighbor's. Emptying and scrubbing every water-holding container once a week, treating water you can't dump with Bti, and getting neighbors on board does more than any spray or gadget.
How to Identify an Asian Tiger Mosquito
Tiger mosquitoes are easy to recognize once you know what to look for. The University of Florida describes them as having "bold black shiny scales and distinct silver white scales" on the legs and mouthparts (UF/IFAS). Look for:
- Black-and-white striped legs. The white bands are bright enough to see with the naked eye.
- One white stripe down the back. A single white line runs the length of the thorax, the section behind the head (UC Riverside).
- Small size. About 5 mm long, roughly one-fifth of an inch.
- Daytime activity. If a small, striped mosquito is biting you at noon in the shade, it's very likely a tiger mosquito.
Tiger mosquito vs. other look-alikes
| Insect | How to tell |
|---|---|
| Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) | Black with white-striped legs and one straight white stripe down the center of the back. Bites by day. |
| Aedes aegypti | Also black and white, but the markings on its back form a lyre or harp shape instead of a single stripe. Also a daytime biter. |
| Common backyard mosquitoes | Mostly plain brown or gray without bold stripes; many species bite mainly at dusk and at night. |
| Crane fly ("mosquito hawk") | Much bigger, with very long, fragile legs. Doesn't bite at all; see are mosquito hawks giant mosquitoes? |
Why Tiger Mosquitoes Bite During the Day (and Go for Your Ankles)
Most people expect mosquitoes at dusk, which is why tiger mosquitoes catch them off guard. The University of Florida notes that their feeding peaks in the early morning and late afternoon, and calls the species "an opportunistic and aggressive biter." Because it flies close to the ground, it tends to bite around the ankles first and then work its way up, and if you swat it away it keeps coming back (Warren County Mosquito Commission, NJ).
Between meals, adults rest in cool, shady spots such as ivy, shrubs and ground cover. That's why a shady patio can be miserable at 3 p.m. even when the sun is out. For how the tiger mosquito's schedule compares with other species, see when mosquitoes are most active.
Where Asian Tiger Mosquitoes Came From (and Where They Live Now)
The species is native to Asia. In the US, breeding populations were discovered in tire dumps around Houston (Harris County), Texas, on August 2, 1985 (Armbruster, 2016, Journal of Medical Entomology), and they most likely arrived in shipments of used tires, which hold rainwater and protect eggs.
It spread quickly. A 2016 survey of county records found the tiger mosquito reported in 1,241 counties across at least 40 states and the District of Columbia (Hahn et al., 2016, Journal of Medical Entomology). It keeps turning up in new places: California's public health department, for example, lists detections across dozens of Los Angeles County communities and in Redding and Shasta Lake in its May 2026 update. The species flies only a short distance on its own but spreads widely with people, in tires, plants and containers moved from place to place.
Where Tiger Mosquitoes Breed in Your Yard
Tiger mosquitoes are "container breeders." They skip ponds and marshes and lay their eggs in small pockets of water around homes. The amount of water in a bottle cap is enough.
How their eggs work
Females lay eggs on the inside walls of containers just above the waterline. When rain or a sprinkler raises the water level, the eggs hatch. According to the CDC, the eggs can survive drying out for up to 8 months, and an egg takes 7 to 10 days to become an adult mosquito (CDC). That's why simply dumping a bucket isn't enough: the eggs stuck to the sides survive. You have to scrub the container too.
Where to look
- Plant saucers, pots and self-watering planters
- Buckets, watering cans and wheelbarrows
- Old tires, including tire swings
- Birdbaths and pet water bowls left outside
- Clogged rain gutters and downspout extensions
- Tarps, grill covers and pool covers that sag and hold water
- Kids' toys, sandbox lids and play equipment
- Tree holes and hollow stumps
- Recycling bins and trash can lids
- Corrugated drain pipes and hose reels
Our guide to mosquito larvae shows what the wrigglers look like, and where mosquitoes lay their eggs covers the spots inside and around the house.
The 300-Foot Rule: Why Your Tiger Mosquitoes Are Homegrown
Here's the most useful fact about this species. Delaware's mosquito control section says the Asian tiger mosquito "does not fly far (only about 300 feet) from its breeding habitat," and adds that if they are biting you, their breeding habitat is likely close by (Delaware DNREC). The CDC puts it even more simply: in their lifetime, these mosquitoes only fly a few blocks.
Three hundred feet is about the length of a football field. So we suggest thinking of your problem as a circle:
- Stand where you get bitten, whether that's the patio, the garden bed or the kids' play area.
- Picture a 300-foot circle around that spot. On a typical suburban street, that takes in your yard and several of your neighbors' yards.
- Every container inside that circle is a suspect. Walk it once a week with the checklist above.
- Anything outside your property line is a conversation. As Delaware DNREC notes, a tiger mosquito infestation can affect more than one property.
Some individual mosquitoes do fly farther, so treat 300 feet as the usual range rather than a hard limit. But it explains why one neglected backyard full of containers can supply mosquitoes to the whole block, and why cleaning up your own yard makes a noticeable difference.
How to Get Rid of Asian Tiger Mosquitoes
Delaware DNREC is direct about it: source reduction and elimination are the best option for Asian tiger mosquito control. Here's what that looks like in practice.
1. Empty and scrub containers weekly
The CDC recommends that once a week you empty and scrub, turn over, cover or throw out any items that hold water, such as tires, buckets, planters, toys, pools, birdbaths and flowerpot saucers (CDC). Weekly matters because it's shorter than the 7-to-10-day egg-to-adult cycle.
2. Treat water you can't dump with Bti
For rain barrels, ornamental water features or a birdbath you'd rather keep, use a Bti product. The EPA says Bti can be used around homes in containers where water collects, such as flower pots, tires and bird baths, and that it has no toxicity to people (EPA).
3. Fix gutters and drainage
Clean gutters in spring and after leaf drop, and level or fill low spots where water sits for days. Our backyard mosquito guide includes a zone-by-zone yard audit.
4. Get your neighbors involved
Because of the 300-foot range, the most effective tiger mosquito control is often a street-level effort. In a large Rutgers-led field project in New Jersey, education campaigns alone significantly reduced adult tiger mosquitoes in urban neighborhoods (Fonseca et al., 2013, Pest Management Science). The same study found that source reduction by itself wasn't always enough to keep numbers below a nuisance level, especially in suburbs, which is why the steps below still matter.
5. Protect your skin in the daytime
Since tiger mosquitoes bite during the day, apply an EPA-registered repellent whenever you're in the yard, not only at dusk, and cover your ankles. See our guide to the best mosquito repellents for the ingredients that work.
Do Mosquito Traps Work on Tiger Mosquitoes?
This is where honesty matters, because trap marketing often glosses over it. Tiger mosquitoes are harder to trap than many other species:
- Light traps don't work well. The CDC notes that Aedes albopictus is not efficiently captured by the most commonly used mosquito traps, such as the CDC miniature light trap, and Rutgers points out that this day-biter isn't drawn to light. Bug zappers are a poor choice (see do bug zappers work on mosquitoes).
- Researchers use skin-scent lures. Surveillance programs rely on traps baited with a lure that mimics human skin odor. In one study, such a trap caught 33 times more female tiger mosquitoes than a CO2-baited light trap (Meeraus et al., 2008, Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association).
- CO2 still helps. Adding carbon dioxide to a lure trap raised tiger mosquito catches from about 4 to about 15 per hour in a 2020 study (Wu et al., PLOS ONE). CO2 is part of how they find a host; it just isn't the whole story for this species.
- Egg-laying traps work best as part of a package. In a North Carolina study, yards that combined egg-laying traps with habitat cleanup and a barrier treatment had 74% fewer female tiger mosquitoes (Figurskey et al., 2022, Pest Management Science).
Our take (and yes, we make a CO2 trap, so weigh this accordingly): for tiger mosquitoes, container cleanup comes first, every time. A CO2 trap such as Mosquito TNT 2.0 is a useful extra layer, especially if your yard also has the dusk-and-night biters that home in on CO2. It isn't a substitute for the weekly container check. For a full comparison of trap types, see mosquito traps compared, and if you'd like to experiment, our DIY mosquito trap guide covers the homemade version.
When Tiger Mosquito Season Starts and Ends
In colder regions, tiger mosquitoes survive winter as eggs: when females experience the short days of autumn, they lay eggs that stay dormant until spring (Armbruster, 2016). Those eggs hatch when spring rains fill the containers they're stuck to, which is why a spring cleanup of every bucket, saucer and gutter pays off all summer. For more on seasonal timing, see mosquito season, and for how long adults last, how long mosquitoes live.
Frequently asked questions
How can you tell if it's an Asian tiger mosquito?
Look for a small black mosquito with bright white stripes on its legs and a single white stripe running down the middle of its back. If it's biting you during the daytime, especially around your ankles in a shady spot, it's very likely a tiger mosquito.
Why do Asian tiger mosquitoes bite during the day?
It's how the species evolved: its feeding peaks in the early morning and late afternoon, unlike many native US mosquitoes that bite mostly at dusk and night. It rests in shady vegetation between meals, so shaded patios and gardens can be buggy even in the middle of the day.
How far do Asian tiger mosquitoes fly?
Not far. Delaware's mosquito control section puts the range at only about 300 feet from where they breed, and the CDC says they fly only a few blocks in their lifetime. If they're biting you, the source is probably in your yard or a neighbor's.
Where do Asian tiger mosquitoes lay their eggs?
On the inside walls of small containers just above the waterline: plant saucers, buckets, tires, birdbaths, clogged gutters, tarps, toys and tree holes. The eggs can survive drying out for up to 8 months, so containers need to be scrubbed, not just emptied.
How long do Asian tiger mosquitoes live?
Clemson University's Home & Garden Information Center notes that females can survive for a month or more. Because an egg becomes an adult in 7 to 10 days, several generations can overlap in a single summer.
How do I get rid of tiger mosquitoes in my yard?
Start with the containers: once a week, empty and scrub or turn over everything that holds water, and treat water you can't dump with Bti. Clean the gutters, talk to your neighbors about doing the same within about 300 feet, and wear repellent during the day. Traps help as an extra layer, but no trap replaces removing breeding sites.
Are Asian tiger mosquitoes in my state?
Quite possibly. A 2016 survey found them reported in at least 40 states and the District of Columbia, and they continue to show up in new areas. Your local mosquito control district or state health department can tell you whether they've been detected near you.
Sources
- Rios, L. & Maruniak, J.E. "Asian Tiger Mosquito," Featured Creatures EENY-319. University of Florida IFAS. ufl.edu
- UC Riverside Center for Invasive Species Research. "Asian Tiger Mosquito." ucr.edu
- Warren County Mosquito Commission (NJ). "Asian Tiger Mosquito." warrencountymosquito.com
- Armbruster, P.A. (2016). Journal of Medical Entomology. PMC
- Hahn, M.B. et al. (2016). Journal of Medical Entomology. PubMed
- California Department of Public Health. Aedes detections by county and city (updated May 1, 2026). cdph.ca.gov
- CDC. "Life Cycle of Aedes Mosquitoes." cdc.gov
- CDC. "Mosquito Control at Home." cdc.gov
- Delaware DNREC, Mosquito Control Section. "Asian Tiger Mosquitoes." delaware.gov
- U.S. EPA. "Bti for Mosquito Control." epa.gov
- Rutgers University. Asian Tiger Mosquito project. rutgers.edu
- Fonseca, D.M. et al. (2013). Pest Management Science. PubMed
- Meeraus, W.H. et al. (2008). Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. PubMed
- Wu et al. (2020). PLOS ONE.
- Figurskey, A.C. et al. (2022). Pest Management Science. PMC
- Clemson Cooperative Extension, Home & Garden Information Center. "Asian Tiger Mosquito." clemson.edu
