What's biting me?Three questions
Daytime bites on the ankles, bites in bed, bites you never see: different culprits, different fixes. Answer three questions for the likely one.
Ankle biters or the evening kind?
Most LA mosquito bites come from one of two groups, and telling them apart tells you what to do.
| Aedes (ankle biters) | Culex | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks like | Small, black, with white bands on the legs and white marks on the back | Plain brown or tan |
| Bites | In the daytime, low on the legs, quick and quiet | At dusk and at night, often indoors, with a whine |
| Breeds in | Tiny containers: saucers, buckets, bottle caps, gutters | Bigger standing water: green pools, drains, ponds |
| Can carry | Dengue, Zika, chikungunya | West Nile virus |
| Best fix | Dump and scrub containers in your yard and your neighbor's | Report green pools; screens; evening repellent |
This is a rough guide, not a diagnosis. If you get a fever, rash or severe body aches after bites, see a doctor and mention the bites.
Why LA has daytime ankle biters now · The ten-minute yard check