For Your Safety: Prevent Mosquito Bites

Mosquitoes are very common on Fire Island National Seashore lands, including Fire Island and the William Floyd Estate. They are typically active from May through September in the Seashore. Each season can vary but they are typically the worst during the later summer months. There are many kinds of salt marsh and fresh water mosquito species that call the Seashore home. Some species can carry diseases that cause illness, such as West Nile Virus, in people and animals when they bite. Mosquitoes on the island can bite you during the day but are more active at dawn and dusk. More information about mosquito bites and diseases they can carry can be found in this article: About Mosquito Bites at CDC.gov

Follow our safety tips to reduce mosquito bites during your visit:

• Use EPA registered insect repellents. Follow the product label instructions, and reapply as needed. Insect repellents that contain DEET, IR3535, Picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus are effective at repelling mosquitos. Find the Repellent that is Right for You (US EPA)

• Treat clothing and gear with repellent products that contain permethrin.

• Wear a hat, long sleeves, pants and socks or net "bug out" suits to keep mosquitoes away from your skin.

• Time your outdoor activities to avoid when mosquitoes are most active during dawn or dusk.

• Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for instructions on preventing mosquito bites on children.

• When camping or leasing within the Seashore, check your surroundings for, and minimize, sources of stagnant water that provide breeding habitat for freshwater mosquitoes.

If you get a mosquito bite during your trip:

• Wash the bite and surrounding area with soap and water

• Apply an ice pack for 10 minutes to reduce swelling and itching, reapply ice as needed

• Use an over-the-counter anti-itch or antihistamine to relieve itching. Follow the product label instructions.

• Monitor your health. Mosquitos can spread viruses like West Nile Virus. If you feel sick after a mosquito bite, see your medical provider.

Salt marsh mosquitoes are common at the Seashore and are aggressive mosquitoes that like to bite humans. They can be a nuisance during the warmer months, especially when large amounts of salt marsh mosquitoes hatch at the same time. Usually within 7 to 10 days of a full or new moon. These large hatches can chase off the most rugged of visitors. When visiting the park, check the lunar cycle to estimate a large salt marsh mosquito hatch to avoid it.

Preventing Mosquitos at Your Home

If you live in the vicinity of Seashore lands, we recommend that you take these additional steps to reduce places where mosquitoes can breed and to keep them out of your home.

• Check your surroundings for sources of stagnant water (gutters, birdbaths, septic systems, buckets and open containers, tarps, puddles). The stagnant water can provide breeding habitat for freshwater mosquitoes. Dump the water out onto the ground.

• Use screens on windows and doors and repair holes in screens to keep mosquitoes outdoors.

• Use air conditioning if available.

Monitoring Mosquitoes and Diseases

Fire Island National Seashore, in partnership with Suffolk County Department of Health Services, conducts monitoring of mosquitoes to identify specific diseases. Mosquitoes are trapped and testing in the summer and early fall to identify human health risks to visitors and staff. Mosquitoes are tested for diseases such as: Eastern Equine Encephlaitis (EEE), West Nile Virus (WNV), Cache Valley Virus, Jamestown Canyon Virus, Highlands J, Flanders, La Crosse, Potosi, Trivittatus, St. Louis encephalitis and other introductions of new mosquito-borne disease. In 2024 and 2025, annual monitoring detected the following diseases in the mosquito population in the Seashore:

• West Nile virus (WNV) (Mosquito species: Culex pipiens and Culex restuans)

• Cache Valley Virus (Mosquito species: Aedes sollicitans)

If mosquito testing detects WNV, or EEE, or other diseases that trigger a health alert, we will increase education and outreach to inform visitors and staff of mosquito risks and preventing bites. Additional actions may be taken by increasing testing, closing visitor sites, or spraying to reduce exposure to mosquitoes. For more information about mosquito management at the Seashore visit:

Suffolk County Department of Public Works, Division of Vector Control

Mosquito Monitoring at Fire Island