Mosquitoes in Bakersfield: Homeowners Guide

It feels like this pest is everywhere. Your casual relaxation in the backyard, barbecue with your friends, evening walk with a dog, or maybe a picnic outdoors all get ruined thanks to this one pest. Your sleep becomes a nightmare if just one of them gets in your room. That's right, these are mosquitoes. They bite, they make high-pitched buzzing, they spread diseases, they reproduce quickly, they invade both your outdoors and indoors. Mosquitoes are some of the most irritating pests Bakersfield homeowners have to deal with. These are also the reasons why mosquitoes are considered pests. They directly interfere with the lives of Bakersfield homeowners, pose health risks, and are quite difficult to control, especially during the hot summers. Mosquitoes are pests not to be underestimated. Due to their rapid reproduction and health concerns, they pose a serious threat to both homeowners and businesses throughout Kern County.

Understanding Mosquitoes: The Basics

Did you know that mosquitoes have existed for over 100 million years? Mosquitoes are small insects that are very thin with small bodies, making their presence almost invisible both in air and on your skin, but this is also what makes mosquitoes quite fragile. Due to their almost invisible bodies, you often notice mosquitoes near yourself because of their buzzing sound or hovering tendency before they land on the surface. Only female mosquitoes actually bite. Only to them is your blood of any value, as they need protein from blood to produce more eggs. Male mosquitoes actually feed off of nectars and plant juices.

Common Mosquito Species in Bakersfield

In Bakersfield, there are over 26 different mosquito species, with over 50 different species all across the state of California. The three most common species of mosquitoes in Bakersfield are Culex quinquefasciatus, Culex tarsalis, and Aedes aegypti.

Culex Quinquefasciatus

This species is abundant in Bakersfield specifically because of the heavy use of irrigation systems and the arid climate, which creates pockets of standing water that are ideal for breeding. The unique combination of agriculture, irrigation, and hot climate creates a comfortable setting for the Culex species to heavily breed.

Aedes Aegypti: The Ankle Biters

The Aedes aegypti species thrives in semi-arid and dry climates. For this species of mosquito, Bakersfield's weather makes breeding especially favorable. One surprising fact you probably did not know is that the species of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes was quite recently introduced to the ecosystem of Kern County, more specifically discovered in 2014. The "ankle biters" or "yellow fever mosquitoes" were actually brought by incident to Kern County. Due to their ability to survive under high temperatures and requiring only a tiny amount of water to reproduce, the Aedes aegypti species of mosquitoes has secured its spot as a leading species of mosquitoes in Kern County.

This species of mosquito is especially hated by the locals because it is a very common problem every summer, especially once homeowners turn on their irrigation systems or when it rains. It is practically impossible to step outside without getting a few ankle bites.

Mosquito Reproduction and Infestations

What makes mosquito infestations quite dangerous is their reproduction. One female mosquito can lay anywhere from 50 to 200 eggs at one time. During their short lifespan of 2 to 3 weeks, a female mosquito can lay eggs up to three times. This means that only one female mosquito can lay up to 1,000 eggs, with each egg hatching as fast as 24 hours. They can lay eggs in still water, small puddles, or your home gutters. This makes mosquitoes some of the fastest reproducing insects.

This is why mosquito infestations can be dangerous if not controlled in a timely manner. Just a few female mosquitoes can start a whole infestation cycle that would require professional and thorough intervention. Also consider the fact that mosquitoes can reproduce with very little water. They can reproduce in clogged gutters, in old tires, flower pots, and puddles. Moreover, after feeding, they typically hide around your property's exterior. They often rest in shaded and hidden areas. They can hide pretty much anywhere: tall grass, under the porch, under the trees, or shrubs. Species like Aedes aegypti can bite even during the day, allowing them to hide not necessarily in shaded areas or at night.

An effective reduction of mosquito population involves removing standing water sources, draining any sources of water, and monitoring of mosquito population to ensure that it stays at regular levels.

The Hidden Threat: Dormant Mosquito Eggs

Even when the eggs of a mosquito are left without a water source or in dry conditions, their dormancy period can last up to 8 months, remaining dormant until submerged in rain or other sources of water. This allows the eggs to survive dry seasons or months without water. If the mosquitoes did disappear from your property, they may come back after the very next rainfall with even higher strength. This is why mosquito control often involves professional intervention from a pest control company, as effective service will also look for dormant eggs that could be hiding all around your property even in the smallest and most hidden spots. Yes, mosquitoes are sneaky. Adults hide in shade vegetation, under patios, decks, or old junk in your backyard, around structures, or inside your crawl space. Your backyard bush could be hiding a number of mosquitoes who are just waiting for you to step outside.

Health Risks from Mosquitoes in Bakersfield

Mosquitoes leave bites followed by irritation. Scratching of those bites can lead to infections, while the bites themselves can transmit viruses or diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention goes as far as calling mosquitoes the deadliest animals. This shouldn't be a surprise, due to mosquitoes' effective ability to transmit some of the worst viruses known to humankind. Mosquitoes spread some of the most dangerous diseases like West Nile, chikungunya, malaria, and lymphatic filariasis, killing more humans than any other creature on Earth.

West Nile Virus in Kern County

In Kern County, one virus has recently become a public concern: West Nile. Signs of this virus spreading began in 2024, a virus that gets transmitted through Culex quinquefasciatus species mosquitoes, with 12 confirmed cases in 2025 throughout Kern County. West Nile virus (WNV) is usually harmless, meaning most people who get infected don't show any symptoms. However, about 20% of infected individuals develop mild symptoms, which can include fever, headache, body aches, nausea, vomiting, and sometimes a rash.

Why Bakersfield is a Mosquito Hotspot

What highly contributes to the spread of mosquitoes and their rapid breeding in Bakersfield is the environment and climate. Understanding what creates comfortable settings for mosquitoes helps homeowners take better preventive measures against mosquito infestations.

Climate and Temperature

Mosquitoes prefer warmer climates with high humidity because they are considered ectothermic insects, meaning that they cannot regulate their own body temperatures. Their metabolism increases, and reproduction rates directly increase during warmer temperatures. Warmer temperatures speed up mosquitoes' life cycle and boost their egg incubation, while humidity also protects from severe dehydration.

When the temperatures drop below 50 degrees in Bakersfield, that's when mosquito activity significantly decreases because that's when mosquitoes cannot rely on the environment's warmth to move and fly. This is why homeowners of Bakersfield report seeing much fewer mosquitoes during the months of December, January, February, and March, when temperatures very often fall below 50 degrees.

Mosquito Season in Bakersfield

The mosquito population in Bakersfield is the most active and growing during the months of spring and summer, when temperatures can reach well above 90 degrees. Due to these high temperatures, mosquitoes can thrive. Unlike other cities in Kern County where frost and colder nights kill off mosquito populations, Bakersfield is one of the warmest cities in the county. Its heat is what allows mosquitoes to reproduce rapidly and for mosquito problems to persist. Unlike other cities in Kern County, Bakersfield also does not experience long or prolonged freezing temperatures. Temperatures tend to bounce back to over 60 degrees during the day, which allows for the majority of mosquitoes to still survive. Often, eggs that are laid in winter or during colder temperatures can hatch in the spring season or when temperatures become warmer during the day.

Water Sources and Irrigation Systems

There is one resource that mosquitoes absolutely need for their reproduction: water. Mosquitoes cannot survive and reproduce without a source of water. In fact, all mosquitoes start their lives in or near a water source. Mosquitoes do not lay their eggs on dry ground or surfaces. They require a source of water to lay their eggs. What is almost always a misconception is the amount of water that mosquitoes need. Mosquitoes need just a tiny bit of water to lay eggs. A few spoons is already enough for a female mosquito to lay eggs.

But why do mosquitoes need water? Larvae and pupae, the early stages of a mosquito's life cycle, are considered aquatic, as they spend their entire development time in water. Not only does water support the life cycle of a mosquito, but it is also an essential resource.

While Kern County is considered to be located in dry climate conditions, the use and management of water in Kern County is what creates the ideal conditions for mosquito breeding. Kern County is filled with agricultural land, over 2.4 million acres, which means that all this land has advanced irrigation systems, irrigation canals, and water ditches, which allow water to sit for days. The combination of active agricultural irrigation systems and canals is what creates an abundance of still water that is perfect for mosquitoes to breed next to or in. Agricultural land around Bakersfield is a hotspot for mosquitoes to reproduce and infest.

What's also interesting is that the new species of mosquitoes recently introduced to Bakersfield, Aedes aegypti species, can actually survive and reproduce with very little water available. This species in particular survives very well in the hot and dry Bakersfield summers, even in little water available. The dry and hot weather of Bakersfield forces homeowners to also turn their irrigation systems on as well. We see hundreds of irrigation systems operating during summers in Bakersfield. Their operation allows storm drains to collect water, poor drainage holds the water, and before you know it, irrigation systems create ideal breeding sites for mosquitoes, moreover provide them with sources of water for days to come. What doesn't help is the fact that Bakersfield irrigation drainage is designed to drain the water slowly, which gives mosquitoes a chance to reproduce. These conditions allow mosquitoes to reproduce faster than they can be eliminated and relocate easily between breeding sites.

The sources of water may also come not from the irrigation system, but from rain as well. Clogged gutters, buckets, containers that are outside, and puddles in the grass also create sources of water for mosquitoes to breed.

If you are curious to learn more about other pests in Bakersfield, check out our other article “Top 5 Common Pests in Bakersfield, CA: What Every Homeowner Should Know” , where we discuss other pests that may invade your property.

Top 5 Tips to Reduce Mosquitoes on Your Property

As a pest control company in Bakersfield with over 25 years of combined experience protecting residential and commercial properties against pests, we understand the challenges homeowners face with mosquito control. As a local pest control company in Bakersfield, we deal with mosquito infestations on a daily basis. It is a common concern amongst homeowners but also amongst businesses. We would like to share a few tips that can help you reduce the number of mosquitoes on your property and help you control their population. These are the tips we give to homeowners when we provide professional mosquito control services. These are maintenance tips you can start implementing today to drastically reduce the population.

1. Eliminate Standing Water Sources

Eliminate or reduce the number of standing water sources in your back or front yard. Mosquitoes need water sources to lay their eggs, so reduction of water sources available to mosquitoes will directly help reduce their population around your property. We recommend taking a walk around your property and checking for any spots that may build up water or collect water.

Go through your yard at least once a week and empty, scrub, turn over, or discard items that collect water like buckets, plant saucers, trash cans, and any containers that may be collecting water or moisture after a rainfall. Eliminating the water sources prevents the mosquito eggs and larvae from developing. Dump and scrub any water collecting items. Scrubbing is important because the eggs might already be planted.

We recommend doing this routine walk just once in a while around your front and backyard to see if any sources of still water are there. This helps maintain and reduce the population of mosquitoes around your home. This is a common tip we give to homeowners who are asking how they can prevent future mosquito infestations. Our pest control team usually takes a walk around your property to locate obvious sources of water where mosquitoes could be breeding in.

2. Clean Gutters and Check Drainage

We also recommend taking a closer look into gutters, drains, backyard drainage, any leaking utility pump, or low spots in your yard where water could be collected. One of the most common sources of water we've found in Bakersfield is clogged gutters. They are very rarely checked once installed. We often find gutters on Bakersfield homes that are very clogged and haven't been checked for years, where water stays still for months. Leaves and collected dirt only allow the water in the gutters to stay even longer.

We recommend cleaning gutters at least once a year to both prevent clogging and to eliminate a possibility of mosquito population from growing right in your gutters. If you own a pool and use a pool cover, check your pool cover. Pool covers very often collect water on top of them that creates a perfect source of water for mosquitoes. Make sure your pool cover doesn't collect water and is set so that water drains on the ground or outside the pool cover. Ensure pool pumps and filters are working and water is circulating.

If your backyard or front yard has any uneven ground that collects water after irrigation or rainfalls, we recommend filling or leveling up the spots to prevent water collecting.

3. Maintain Your Landscape

While the source of water definitely contributes to mosquito reproduction and breeding, mosquitoes do need a place to hide, stay shaded, and hidden during the day. Due to Bakersfield's dry and hot climate, mosquitoes actively search for moisture, cool, and humid shelters during the day to avoid dehydration and direct heat. Your poorly maintained landscape happens to be a perfect hiding spot.

Weeds, bushes, leaves, and shrubs are all hiding spots mosquitoes use to avoid open sunlight. We recommend also checking under your decks, patios, fences, or any other outdoor additions where air could be cool and shaded. Not only are these spots perfect for breeding, they are also close to you, next to your house, where mosquitoes have access to your blood.

If you are experiencing mosquito infestations or an increased activity of mosquitoes near your home, we highly recommend looking into maintaining your landscape at least once a month or hiring a landscape company to address your entire outdoor space. For regular maintenance, keep bushes trimmed, landscape areas near patios, decks, or outdoor additions, cut any tall grass or weeds, and mow your lawn at least once a month, including along the fences. If you have a pile of leaves, grass clippings, or tree branches, clear them away. We recommend removing or clearing out any areas that may offer shade. Increase sun exposure as much as possible. This applies to both your front yard and backyard.

4. Monitor Your Irrigation System

Check your irrigation system regularly to ensure it's not creating standing water. Look for leaks, broken sprinkler heads, or areas where water pools after irrigation cycles. Adjust timers to avoid overwatering, and make sure drainage systems are working properly to move water away from your property efficiently.

5. Schedule Professional Inspections

Even with the best prevention efforts, mosquito populations can quickly get out of control due to their rapid reproduction. Professional pest control services can identify breeding sites you might miss, treat areas with safe and effective solutions, and provide ongoing monitoring to keep your property mosquito-free throughout the season.

If you are looking for more tips on how to protect your home from common pests, check out the article pest control company in Bakersfield , where we share more practical tips and steps to reduce pest activity on your property.

Mosquito Control in Bakersfield

If you are experiencing an increased activity of mosquitoes on your residential or commercial property in Bakersfield, Never Pests Pest Control is here to provide the highest-quality mosquito control services . Never Pests Pest Control is a licensed, insured, and local pest control company in Bakersfield. Our team is here to conduct a thorough mosquito inspection and safely exterminate mosquitoes and eggs around your property.

Why Choose Never Pests Pest Control

Never Pests Pest Control is a local pest control company in Bakersfield that knows exactly how to eliminate mosquito infestations and protect your property in the future. We are a team of Bakersfield mosquito control experts equipped to eliminate mosquitoes for both residential and commercial properties. We handle mosquito control services for properties of all sizes. We have over 25 years of experience providing pest control services in Bakersfield, eliminating mosquitoes beyond just Bakersfield but also protecting properties across Kern County.

Unlike other pest control companies, we are a locally owned and operated pest control company in Bakersfield. Our pest control team lives, thrives, and shares our moments in Bakersfield. Our pest control team knows exactly the best mosquito control solutions, how to approach Bakersfield properties, and how to prevent future mosquito infestations.

Never Pests Pest Control Services

Beyond just mosquito control services, our pest control company offers extermination and protection services from spiders, rodents, bed bugs, ants, fleas and ticks , and cockroaches for homeowners and businesses throughout Kern County. We offer transparent pricing across all pest control services. No hidden fees, no surprise charges. We provide you with a detailed quote that our pest team thoroughly explains and goes through each requirement and suggestion. We take the time for you to fully understand the quote provided so you can be fully aware of the pest control services we are providing.

Our mosquito extermination services are designed to eliminate mosquitoes in all stages of their life cycle, from egg and larva to adult mosquitoes. Because we are locals, we understand the climate and environment challenges Bakersfield presents. Our pest control company is equipped with the most effective solutions, safe for you and the environment, and prepared to handle even the most severe mosquito infestations.

Schedule Mosquito Control Inspection Today

Schedule a thorough pest inspection today and keep your property mosquito-free! Contact Never Pests Pest Control for professional mosquito control in Bakersfield and throughout Kern County.