Mosquitoes Beware: Health Department Launches Fight Against Larvae

Published on April 14, 2025

Mosquitoes Beware: Allegheny County Launches Spring Offensive Against Larvae in Wetlands and Catch Basins 

PITTSBURGH – As the weather warms and spring rains return, so too does a familiar threat: mosquitoes. But Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) is staying one step ahead. Throughout April and continuing through May, ACHD’s Housing and Community Environment Program is launching its annual treatment of more than 50 wetlands across 20 municipalities to target mosquito larvae before they ever take flight. 

Since the 1970s, the treatment effort is a cornerstone of the county’s proactive strategy to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile Virus. This year, the program will again use Altosid XR, a biological larvicide recommended by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The product safely disrupts the life cycle of mosquitoes and midges—stopping them in their larval tracks—without harming humans, pets, fish, or other aquatic life. 

“Among our many management practices to control mosquito populations, our annual spring wetland and catch basin treatments are some of the most effective,” said Nick Bladauf, ACHD Vector Control Specialist. “This allows us to stop mosquitoes from ever becoming the flying, biting pests people dread.” 

In addition to wetland treatments, ACHD will also tackle urban mosquito habitats with a citywide catch basin treatment program. Starting May 19, ACHD crews will treat over 13,500 storm drains and catch basins in Pittsburgh and five nearby boroughs—Bellevue, Millvale, McKees Rocks, Mount Oliver, and Wilkinsburg. These shallow, stagnant basins are ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Treating them early dramatically reduces the need for adult mosquito spraying later in the season. 

“It’s much easier and more environmentally responsible to control mosquitoes while they’re still larvae,” said Tim Murphy, Program Manager for ACHD’s Housing and Community Environment Program. “These early interventions reduce both nuisance bites and serious health threats.” 

Public participation is key: Residents who notice potential mosquito breeding grounds—such as standing water in yards, tire piles, neglected pools, clogged rain gutters, or blocked catch basins—are encouraged to file a complaint online or call 412-350-4046. 

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The Allegheny County Health Department's mission is to protect, promote, and preserve the health and well-being of the more than 1.2 million people who call Allegheny County home.

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