FIGHT THE BITE

Request Mosquitofish

These little fish are hearty, hungry, and free to Collier County residents!

Our tanks are full of hungry mosquitofish ready to gobble up mosquito larvae in the standing water around your home.

These Gambusia holbrooki from local canals are members of the guppy family and reach about 2″ in length — each one eats about 100 larvae daily. Where to use them? Flooded yards, swales, and borrow pits are perfect spots, as well as non-working fountains and pools. Do you already have fish in your pond? Please let them do the job for you, and let the mosquitofish work where there aren’t other fish.

Looking for mosquitofish outside of Collier County?

  • Lee County Mosquito Control… support@lcmcd.org and 239-694-2174
  • Charlotte County Mosquito Control …941.764.4370

We Love Mosquitofish!

State of Florida Icon | Collier Mosquito Control District

Native to SWFL

  • The Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) are native to our area
  • No permits are necessary to own them

Small but Tough

Mosquitofish Icon | Collier Mosquito Control District
  • Gambusia are ideal for mosquito control because they are very tough fish that can tolerate poor water quality and a wide range of temperatures
Mosquitofish Eating Icon | Collier Mosquito Control District

Big Appetites

  • Their favorite food is mosquito larvae
  • The adult fish can eat up to 100 larvae each day

REQUEST MOSQUITOFISH

FREE MOSQUITOFISH FOR COLLIER COUNTY RESIDENTS

We Love Mosquitofish!

State of Florida Icon | Collier Mosquito Control District

Native to SWFL

  • The Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) are native to our area
  • No permits are necessary to own them

Small but Tough

Mosquitofish Icon | Collier Mosquito Control District
  • Gambusia are ideal for mosquito control because they are very tough fish that can tolerate poor water quality and a wide range of temperatures
Mosquitofish Eating Icon | Collier Mosquito Control District

Big Appetites

  • Their favorite food is mosquito larvae
  • The adult fish can eat up to 100 larvae each day

Mosquitofish are available now for pick up!

Best Locations to Use Mosquitofish

  • ornamental ponds
  • backyard ponds
  • flooded yards
  • retention ponds without fountains
  • unused swimming pools
  • animal troughs
  • ditches and swales
  • large areas of standing water
Free Mosquitofish for Collier County Residents | Collier Mosquito Control District
DID YOU KNOW?

Mosquitofish Facts

Mosquitoes need only a little bit of standing water in which to lay their eggs. And remember that mosquitoes aren’t just a nuisance – they can also spread disease such as chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever, Zika and West Nile.
Their small size (only 1.5” – 2”) means they can live in shallow waters and penetrate dense vegetation growth where mosquito larvae and pupae hide. An adult mosquitofish can consume over 100 mosquito larvae daily.
Mosquitofish are extremely hardy and will tolerate and thrive in just about any standing water, regardless of pH or oxygen content.
If insufficient natural foods are present, supplement their diet with a quality fish flake food.
Mosquitofish bear live young (they do not lay eggs) and produce new broods of up to 100 young about every six weeks.
Ideally, the environment should have hideout points like rocks and aquatic plants to protect the newborn fish, or fry. Without a safe hiding place, adult mosquitofish may eat the fry.
The average lifespan of a mosquitofish is about a year.

Caring For Your Mosquitofish

Quickly take home your mosquitofish – they are provided to you in a small container that will not support them long-term.

Slowly submerge the open container of fish into your water-filled area, ensuring that fish can easily swim out of the container.

If the fish exhaust the mosquito larvae supply in your waters, you can supplement their diet with tropical fish flakes to maintain a healthy population.

When the waters begin to recede, the fish may naturally find their way to other bodies of water. If not, you may choose to relocate them.

Hands holding mosquitofish in water | How to care for Mosquitofish | The District