I live in the southeast and we have had a lot of rain lately and even some flooding. What should I do to protect my children from mosquitoes?

Greg Baumann, Pest Sherpa

Short answer: After heavy rain and flooding in the Southeast, mosquito numbers often surge. Protect children with clothing, EPA-registered repellents used as directed, screened indoor time at peak biting hours, and aggressive removal of standing water once floodwaters recede.

Why floods mean more mosquitoes

Many floodwater mosquito species lay eggs on damp soil that hatches when covered by rising water. Container mosquitoes explode when toys, gutters, and debris hold rain. Purdue’s public-health entomology overview and EPA mosquito-control pages both emphasize that immature mosquitoes develop in water, so drying out or dumping water is prevention you can do without a license.

Practical protection for kids

• Use long sleeves/pants at dawn and dusk when feasible.
• Apply EPA-registered insect repellent according to the label: more is not better, and follow age directions on the product.
• Repair screens; use air conditioning when you can.
• Empty water from playground equipment, buckets, birdbaths (refresh weekly), and tarps.
• Report large neglected pools or drains to local mosquito control if your parish/county runs a program.

If a child develops fever or unusual symptoms after mosquito season exposure, contact a clinician. Mosquito-borne illnesses are uncommon relative to bite irritation, but they are why public-health agencies push prevention after floods.

After floods, leftover water in toys, tires, wheelbarrows, and blocked gutters can produce new mosquitoes for days to weeks. Make a once-a-week “tip and toss” habit part of cleanup. If your community has an organized mosquito-control district, their larval treatments in roadside ditches complement, not replace, what you do in your own yard.

Repellent on kids should follow the product label carefully: apply to exposed skin only as directed, avoid hands/eyes/mouth, and reapply only on the schedule the label allows. Combination sunscreen/repellent products are usually a poorer choice than separate sunscreen first and repellent second. Check the labels you actually buy.

Related guides

• Mosquito Guide
• Pest Lab: West Nile Virus

References

• U.S. EPA: Mosquito Control
• Purdue Public Health Entomology: Mosquitoes
• American Mosquito Control Association: FAQs