The Trump administration has launched an aggressive campaign against invasive mosquito populations in Washington, D.C., with a new executive order aiming to reduce Egyptian mosquitoes by 90% and ticks by 50% within two years.
Issued Tuesday, the order directs federal agencies including the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the General Services Administration to implement measures to combat pests. The initiative also involves collaboration with the Department of Health and Human Services.
The executive order targets a range of interventions, including draining mosquito breeding grounds on federal land and controlling deer and rodent populations that spread ticks. It further mandates agencies explore “sterilization techniques, safe genetic modification, and use of safe, beneficial bacteria” as part of a broader strategy to reduce disease-carrying pests.
The plan draws inspiration from Singapore’s successful use of Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes to combat dengue fever. In 2018, Singapore released lab-bred male mosquitoes carrying the Wolbachia bacteria into the wild, resulting in an 85% decline in Egyptian mosquito populations and a 70% reduction in dengue exposure at release sites.
Private companies have already begun implementing similar tactics in D.C. Bee Safe Mosquito Control, founded by Todd Montgomery, released 600,000 Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes into the metro area in 2026. Additionally, Google’s Debug Project has applied for experimental pesticide approval with the EPA.
The order also includes funding for tick control. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Department of Health and Human Services allocated nearly $3 million to two CDC Centers of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases for a pilot program targeting deer and rodents with acaricide, an anti-tick pesticide.
“The effort is designed to move tick control forward by evaluating large-scale deployment of wildlife-targeted interventions,” said CDC Division of Vector-Borne Diseases Director Lyle Petersen. “The ultimate goal is simple but ambitious: reduce the number of ticks to stop tick bites and tickborne diseases.”
Agencies have until late November to plan and launch their campaigns, subject to available appropriations. The Environmental Protection Agency, General Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Departments of the Interior and Agriculture did not immediately provide additional comment.
