Common Mosquitoes That Can Spread Disease in Massachusetts

Mosquito Species Name	When are they most active?	Where do they live and what kind of water do they like?	What types of animals do they bite?	What time of year are they most common?
Aedes vexans	Dusk/dawn, night	River floodplains and salt-marshes – temporary flooded areas	Mammals/humans	Summer and early fall
Coquillettidia perturbans	Dusk/dawn, night	Woodlands – cat-tail marshes	Birds Mammals/humans	Summer
Culex pipiens	Dusk/dawn, night	Urban areas – artificial containers	Birds, Occasionally mammals/humans	Summer and early fall
Culex restuans	Dusk/dawn, night	Urban areas – natural and artificial containers	Birds, Occasionally mammals/humans	Spring, summer and fall
Culex salinarius	Dusk/dawn, night	Salt-marshes – brackish and freshwater wetlands	Reptiles Birds Mammals/humans	Summer
Culiseta melanura	Dusk/dawn, night	Woodlands – white cedar and red maple swamps	Birds, Occasionally mammals/humans	Spring and summer
Ochlerotatus canadensis	Dusk/dawn, day	Woodlands – woodland pools	Birds Mammals/humans	Late spring through summer
Ochlerotatus japonicus	Day	Urban areas – natural and artificial containers	Mammals/humans	Summer through fall

For information on diseases spread by mosquitoes and how to prevent them: contact the MDPH, Division of Epidemiology and Immunization at 617-983-6800 or visit the MDPH Arbovirus website at http://www.mass.gov/dph/mosquito 

This document was developed in conjunction with the State Reclamation and Mosquito Control Board and the Massachusetts Mosquito Control Projects.

Updated April 2018

• Click Here - CDC Tick

Diseases Transmitted by Ticks	Check your body for ticks after being outdoors.
Anaplasmosis  Babesiosis Bourbon Virus Colorado Tick Fever Ehrlichiosis Hard Tick Relapsing Fever Heartland Virus Lyme Disease Powassan Virus Rickettsia Parkeri Rickettsiosis Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever Soft Tick Relapsing Fever STARI Tularemia 364D Rickettsiosis

Dogs and cats often come into contact with ticks when they are outside. Like humans, pets can get sick with tickborne diseases. In addition, pets can transport ticks from outside the home to inside, where the ticks may then bite people. Dogs can also be infested by the brown dog tick, which occurs across the United States and is unique in that it can infest indoor spaces like homes and kennels.

Watch your pet closely for changes in behavior or appetite if you know or suspect that it has been bitten by a tick. Signs of tickborne disease may not appear for 7-21 days or longer after a tick bite. Except for Lyme disease in dogs, pets cannot be vaccinated against tickborne diseases. Talk to your veterinarian about tickborne diseases that occur in your local area, or if you are considering a Lyme disease vaccine for your dog.

Dogs are very susceptible to tick bites and tickborne diseases. Vaccines are not available for most of the tickborne diseases that dogs can get, and they don't keep the dogs from bringing ticks into your home. For these reasons, it's important to use a tick preventive product on your dog.