Community News

OCMVCD to Release Sterilized Non-Biting Male Mosquitoes in Mission Viejo

 

by: Brian Brannon
Published: May 4, 2026

 

ORANGE COUNTY...On mid-morning, Tuesday, May 5th, Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District (OCMVCD) will begin weekly releases of 50,000 to 100,000 X-ray sterilized non-biting male mosquitoes to reduce the number of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes (commonly known as “ankle biters”) in the Timberline neighborhood of Mission Viejo.

This release represents the next phase of OCMVCD’s Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) pilot project and follows more than a year of outreach and community education efforts within the project area to ensure that residents are informed and prepared for implementation.

The number of sterile male mosquitoes OCMVCD releases each week will vary according to the amount of mosquitoes captured via traps set throughout the target area.

More information about the SIT project is available on the OCMVCD website at www.ocvector.org/sterile-insect-technique-sit-project.