A public district or a yard company
The westnile.ca.gov site has a zip-code search for your local vector control agency, and the Mosquito and Vector Control Association of California lists member districts at mvcac.org. Alameda County's district will visit a home at no charge to help with a mosquito problem. Santa Clara County's district lists a mosquito inspection among the requests it takes, San Diego County's program takes requests for a mosquito inspection and free mosquitofish, and Contra Costa's district takes service requests and reports of unmaintained pools.
Sacramento-Yolo's district calls larval control the backbone of its mosquito control and offers spray notification sign-up by zip code. Greater Los Angeles County's district has a Green Pools and Mosquitoes program and an online service request. Kern's district doesn't cover the whole county; it serves Wasco, Buttonwillow, Shafter, Bakersfield, Lamont and Arvin.
What mosquito service costs in California
Our estimate for a yard mosquito visit in California is $115 to $220 per visit, and the table adds an estimate for a full season. Both come from two national ranges adjusted by California's pest control wage ratio of 1.09, and neither is a quote.
No California company price for mosquito work is in our count. Ask a yard company which months the price covers and how many visits that is.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $115 to $220 per visit | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the California pest control worker wage ratio (1.09). Five California companies (Sacramento and Fresno) advertise a starting monthly plan price and one prices a one-time treatment, but the units differ company to company, so no company price anchors a plan estimate. One company prints a regular price for a one-time treatment, too few to move that estimate. Basis: no state company sample (no counted California company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Estimated range per season, not a quote | $390 to $920 per season | Built from 2 national published ranges, adjusted by the California pest control worker wage ratio (1.09). Five California companies (Sacramento and Fresno) advertise a starting monthly plan price and one prices a one-time treatment, but the units differ company to company, so no company price anchors a plan estimate. One company prints a regular price for a one-time treatment, too few to move that estimate. Basis: no state company sample (no counted California company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Pest control worker wage, California mean | $24.21 an hour | Hourly pay per BLS (May 2025); yard companies set their own visit prices. |
| DPR fee, pest control business license | $360 main license, $180 per branch | Paid by the business to DPR, effective August 5, 2024; not a line on your bill. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (2 sources), adjusted by California's pest control worker wage ratio to the US (1.09, BLS May 2025), with no permit fee added because pest control has no city permit. Not a quote. Five California companies (Sacramento and Fresno) advertise a starting monthly plan price and one prices a one-time treatment, but the units differ company to company, so no company price anchors a plan estimate. One company prints a regular price for a one-time treatment, too few to move that estimate. We have no counted California company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
West Nile in California, by the numbers
CDPH's dashboard was updated October 23, 2026. It listed 452 human cases from 24 counties, 29 related fatalities from nine jurisdictions, 753 positive dead birds and 4,075 positive mosquito samples. The preceding week added 74 cases: 59 in Los Angeles County and 10 in Orange County, with the rest reported in Fresno, San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Tulare counties. CDPH updates the dashboard weekly, so check it for the latest totals.
The latest completed annual report, for 2025, recorded West Nile activity in 36 counties, 117 human cases from 25 counties, 88 percent neuroinvasive cases and 11 deaths. It describes 2025 as the lowest case total since 2010, while the live 2026 dashboard now shows higher activity. These figures come from different reporting periods: use the weekly dashboard for current statewide activity.
Aedes mosquitoes and dengue
CDPH's 2025 report says Aedes aegypti is established in 28 California counties and Aedes albopictus, the Asian tiger mosquito, in two. It counted seven locally acquired dengue cases in 2025, 200 travel-associated cases, 25 chikungunya cases and four Zika cases. Orange County's district also has information on invasive Aedes mosquitoes.
Ticks and Lyme disease in California
The latest completed annual report counted 114 Lyme disease cases in 2025, up slightly from 2024. CDPH identifies Lyme as California's most reported tick-borne disease. Its 2024 report found the highest incidence along the north-to-central coast and in some northern counties on the western Sierra slopes; county totals vary by year.
Mosquitoes: what can wait
- A green or unmaintained pool next door: report it to your district, since Contra Costa's district and San Diego County's program both take those reports.
- Heavy evening biting in a garden.
- A puddle or bucket of water near the house.
Before you book
- Look up your vector control district at westnile.ca.gov and ask what it does free.
- Empty any standing water you can.
- Ask which months and how many visits the price covers.
- Ask which product it uses and what the label says about ponds and vegetable beds.
- Ask whether the service is under a Branch 2 license or a DPR license, and request the number.
Licenses behind a yard mosquito service
Around a home? CDPR says mosquito work close enough that mosquitoes could enter the structure may use SPCB Branch 2 or a DPR QAL with Category A. Branch 2 can cover nearby standing water or mosquito reservoirs, but not landscaping, turf or fountains. Further away, or under a public-agency contract, the work requires a DPR business license with the K category. It isn't one-size-fits-all. Ask where the company will treat, which license covers that work, and for the license number.
Ask for the company's state pesticide business license number and the applicator's name, and look both up with your state's pesticide regulator before any work starts.
Questions people ask
When is mosquito season in California?
westnile.ca.gov reports activity week by week, with an update every Friday. The Oct. 23, 2026 dashboard listed 452 cases for the year and 74 new cases the preceding week, including 59 in Los Angeles County. CDPH updates the count weekly; check the dashboard for current activity.
How many people in California have caught West Nile virus in 2026?
452 human cases from 24 counties as of October 23, 2026, with 29 related fatalities. The weekly count can change; check westnile.ca.gov for the current figure and your local district for area-specific information.
Do California counties handle mosquitoes for free?
Some districts do: Alameda County's will visit a home at no charge to help with a mosquito problem. San Diego County and Santa Clara County list mosquito inspections among the requests they take, and several districts give out free mosquitofish. Services vary, so check your own.
Has the Asian tiger mosquito reached California?
Yes. The 2025 CDPH report says Aedes albopictus is found in two counties and Aedes aegypti is established in 28. CDPH counted seven locally acquired dengue cases in 2025, alongside 200 travel-associated cases.
What license does a mosquito company need in California?
It depends on the work: CDPR says nearby mosquito control may be covered by SPCB Branch 2 or a DPR QAL with Category A. For treatment outside the immediate environment of a structure, CDPR says a DPR business license with the K category is required. Ask the company which license applies to its plan.
Is Lyme disease common in California?
It is California's most reported tick-borne disease; CDPH counted 114 cases in 2025. CDPH counted 114 Lyme disease cases in 2025. Its 2024 report found the highest incidence along the north-to-central coast and in some northern counties on the western Sierra slopes; rates vary by year.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), California, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- PestControlMatch: how we estimate costs, California (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- FAC 11701 and CDPR pest control business licensing requirements Read Oct 26, 2026.
- westnile.ca.gov; MVCAC Read Oct 22, 2026.
- Alameda County Mosquito Abatement District Read Oct 22, 2026.
- Santa Clara County Mosquito and Vector Control District Read Oct 22, 2026.
- San Diego County Vector Control Program Read Oct 22, 2026.
- Contra Costa Mosquito and Vector Control District Read Oct 22, 2026.
- Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito & Vector Control District Read Oct 22, 2026.
- Greater Los Angeles County Vector Control District Read Oct 22, 2026.
- Kern Mosquito & Vector Control District Read Oct 22, 2026.
- Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District Read Oct 22, 2026.
- CDPH VBDS Annual Report 2024 Read Oct 20, 2026.
- CDPH Vector-Borne Disease Section Annual Report 2025 Read Oct 26, 2026.
- CDPR Chapter 3 licensee guidance: mosquito control near structures Read Oct 26, 2026.