Are urban conservation practices unintentionally increasing the prevalence of nuisance and vector mosquitoes?

Conservation initiatives have been increasingly implemented in cities throughout the United Sates to mitigate the negative effects of urbanization on the environment. These initiatives promote sustainable landscaping practices, encouraging homeowners to plant native wildflowers in their yards as habitat and forage for pollinators. While these practices aim to support pollinators, they might also support mosquitoes that feed on plant nectar, including both nuisance and vector species. Although different mosquito species prefer nectar from specific flowers, it remains unknown whether incorporating certain flowering plants into pollinator gardens unintentionally increases exposure to mosquitoes, and consequently, the risk of bites and pathogen transmission. To inform sustainable landscaping practices that minimize mosquitoes, we deployed adult mosquito traps in residential yards throughout central Ohio, whose homeowners participated in a local conservation program. We evaluated the relationship between bloom abundances of different flowering plant species and the prevalence of nuisance and vector mosquito species. Our results provide insights into how sustainable landscaping practices affect mosquito ecology in urban residential environments. Ultimately, this work will help determine how to design pollinator-friendly yards that do not inadvertently support mosquitoes, an important step toward balancing pollinator conservation with mosquito control in shared landscapes.