Mosquito numbers are decided by standing water, not by how much you spray. Aedes — the daytime biter linked to dengue — breeds in clean water in small containers, often inside or immediately around the flat, and it only needs about a week of undisturbed water to complete a cycle.
So the sequence that works during the monsoon is: remove breeding sites first, then treat the water that cannot be removed, then knock down adults.
The weekly ten-minute check
- Plant pot trays and self-watering planter reservoirs — empty, do not just tip
- Balcony drain, AC drip tray and the tray under the water purifier
- Overhead and underground tank lids, and the gap around the inlet pipe
- Terrace puddles, blocked rainwater outlets and lift-machine-room corners
- Disused buckets, coconut shells, tyres and paint tins in the utility area
- Fountain, unused swimming pool or fire-tank water in the society compound
What each treatment step does
Larvicide is applied to water that cannot be drained — tanks, sumps, stagnant shafts and drains — and stops larvae becoming adults. It is the step that lowers numbers for weeks rather than hours.
Residual spray goes on resting surfaces: shaded walls, staircase undersides, shrubs, duct walls and parking areas, where adults sit between feeds.
Thermal fogging knocks down flying adults across a compound or garden. On its own it is short-lived, which is why fogging without larviciding feels like it wears off in a couple of days.
For societies and gated buildings
Individual flats can only do so much when breeding is happening in the common terrace, shafts or the compound. A society-level schedule through the monsoon — larvicide on tanks and shafts plus fogging of the compound and basement — brings numbers down far more than uncoordinated flat-by-flat work.
Frequently asked questions
Is mosquito fogging safe for children and pets?
Fogging is done in open and common areas with occupants kept out during the operation and for a short settling period afterwards. Indoor work uses odourless residual spray instead.
How often should treatment be repeated in the monsoon?
Through the rains a monthly cycle is usual for societies, with weekly source reduction done in-house between visits.
Why do mosquitoes return within days of fogging?
Fogging only kills adults in flight. If tanks, trays and shafts are still breeding, a new batch emerges within a week — larviciding those sites is what makes the reduction last.