The tiger mosquito is the striped daytime mosquito that San Diegans call the “ankle biter.”[1]
Mosquito screens from Total Screen will stop ankle biters.
In this guide we explain: what a tiger mosquito looks like, why a tiger mosquito bites in daylight, & where the breeding happens in a San Diego yard.
A tiger mosquito bites in daylight, when windows are open, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells homeowners to “repair holes in screens,” so get mosquito screens installed today.[5]
What Does A Tiger Mosquito Look Like?
A tiger mosquito is small and black, with white stripes down its back and legs.[3]
California's public-health agency calls the same insect Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito.[3]
The County of San Diego describes the invasive Aedes mosquitoes as smaller than San Diego's native mosquitoes.[2]
One white stripe down the back and banded legs are what separate a tiger mosquito from San Diego's native mosquitoes.
Two more ankle biter species live in San Diego County as well.[1]
The County groups all three together as invasive Aedes mosquitoes, the ankle biters, first recorded in San Diego County in 2014.[1]
Why Does A Tiger Mosquito Bite During The Day?
A tiger mosquito bites during the day, especially around the legs and ankles.[1]
San Diego County also notes that ankle biters can bite aggressively and multiple times.[1]
California's public-health agency notes that even a small number of ankle biters can become an extreme nuisance.[3]
Ankle biters feed close to the ground in full daylight, unlike San Diego's native mosquitoes.
Ankle biters feed from dawn through dusk, and rarely after dark.[2]
San Diego's mosquito season runs longer than most people expect. Find out more in our guide: When Do Mosquitoes Come Out In San Diego.
Where Tiger Mosquitoes Breed In A San Diego Yard
A tiger mosquito lays its eggs in small containers of water, found in backyards, and even inside homes.[1]
The County says a quarter inch of water is enough for mosquito larvae to develop.[1]
Also look for tree holes and the saucers under flower pots, which collect water and need to be dumped out.[2]
A plant saucer refills every time the pot is watered, and a quarter inch is all an ankle biter needs.
Ankle-biter eggs can survive up to six months without water, then hatch once rain or a sprinkler rehydrates them.[2]
During a dengue response, the County asked residents to dump out, drain, or remove anything that holds water, indoors and out.[4]
If you are concerned that mosquitoes are already inside, read our guide: How To Get Rid Of Mosquitoes In Your House.
How Far Does A Tiger Mosquito Travel?
An ankle biter has a flight range of about 150 yards.[2]
An ankle biter that bit you in your backyard almost certainly hatched within a few blocks of your home.[2]
An ankle biter's 150-yard range covers about a block and a half around one house.
A short flight range makes an ankle biter a property-level problem, which every homeowner has to solve on their own property.
Start by emptying the containers of standing water on your property, because that stops ankle biters from hatching there.
Then review the window screens and screen doors on your home, to be sure no openings exist that would let newly hatched mosquitoes inside.
Are Tiger Mosquitoes Dangerous?
The County lists dengue, Zika, yellow fever, and chikungunya among the illnesses that invasive Aedes mosquitoes can carry.[1]
In October 2024, San Diego County reported its first locally acquired dengue case.[4]
Ankle biters can also spread heartworm to dogs.[1]
Ankle biters can carry dog heartworm, so a screened door protects the pets as well as the people.
For most San Diego households, an ankle biter is a daily nuisance rather than a personal health emergency.
If you are curious about other ways mosquitoes can make you sick, read our guide: Mosquito Illness In San Diego.
How To Keep Tiger Mosquitoes Out Of Your Home
The County of San Diego advises homeowners to “use a fine mesh to prevent the small Aedes mosquitoes from getting in.”[1]
A fine mesh is denser than the standard mesh of a regular window screen, and the one Total Screen installs is 20×20 mesh.
A 20×20 mesh is named after the insect it keeps out, the no-see-um.
A screen measured to its own opening seats flush and leaves no gap at the edge.
A no-see-um mesh is dense enough to stop even the smallest bugs from entering a home.
A standard 18×16 window screen is already the right weave to stop a tiger mosquito.
An intact window screen leaves no opening that an ankle biter can use to get into your home.
Get Ahead Of The Ankle Biters
Ankle biters bite in daylight, so an intact window screen is what keeps them out of the house.
Total Screen makes every window screen to fit its own opening, in the standard 18×16 weave or the finer 20×20.
Check the window screens and screen doors on your home for holes, tears, and bent frames.
Screens that sit flush in every opening are the difference between a yard problem and a house problem.
Call Total Screen at (619) 871-7610 for a free on-site estimate.
Or click here to fill out our 2-question contact-form, and we will get back to you right away.
Contact Total Screen to get mosquito screens installed on every window and door.
Disclaimer: Total Screen is not a mosquito-control or public-health authority. This article is provided for informational purposes only, and is based on our online research of publicly available documents from the County of San Diego, the California Department of Public Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the other sources listed below. To report a mosquito problem, or to ask about treatment on your property, contact the County of San Diego's Vector Control Program.
Sources
- County of San Diego, DEH — Invasive Aedes Mosquitoes (“ankle biter”; first found in the county in 2014; “Bite during the day, especially around the legs and ankles”; “Can bite aggressively and multiple times”; “lay eggs in small containers of water”; “Even 1/4″ of water is enough”; “Use a fine mesh to prevent the small Aedes mosquitoes from getting in”). sandiegocounty.gov
- San Diego County News Center — “Know Your Mosquitoes? Read the Tale of the Tape!” (Aedes smaller than native mosquitoes, distinctive black and white markings, flight range about 150 yards, tree holes and flower-pot saucers, eggs survive six months dry). countynewscenter.com
- California Department of Public Health — Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus Mosquitoes (Asian tiger mosquito; “small, black mosquitoes with white stripes on their back and legs”; “bite during the day, and even a small number of mosquitoes can become an extreme nuisance”). cdph.ca.gov
- San Diego County News Center — County Reports First Locally Acquired Dengue Case, October 2024 (“Dump out, drain, or remove any items inside and outside of homes that can hold water”). countynewscenter.com
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — Preventing Mosquito Bites (“Use screens on windows and doors”; “Repair holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outdoors”). cdc.gov