Are sterile mosquitoes safe?
Yes. Precisely targeted to two mosquito species, males don't bite, and no chemicals are used.
Yes. Sterile male mosquito control is biological and safe for people, pets, pollinators and the environment. Male mosquitoes don't bite, and the CDC says irradiated mosquitoes cannot make people or animals sick, including fish, birds and pets.¹ Our males are not genetically modified and not radioactive, and they only mate with their own species, so bees and butterflies are left alone. No product goes on your lawn, flowers or water.
1. CDC, "Irradiated mosquitoes," cdc.gov, May 14, 2024, https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/mosquito-control/irradiated-mosquitoes.html
Males don't bite
Only female mosquitoes bite, because they need blood to make eggs. Males live on nectar and plant sugars.¹
We release males only. Before sterilization, AI vision sorts every batch and removes females (see "What if a few females get through?" below). A male can land on you, but he doesn't bite, and he lives only a few days.²
1. CDC: "Male mosquitoes do not bite." 2. Field life expectancy about 2.46 days. Carvalho et al., Parasites & Vectors, 2022.
Not genetically modified, not radioactive
Two questions we hear most. Both have short answers.
Are they genetically modified?
No. The males are not genetically modified, and the CDC says the same of irradiated mosquitoes in general.¹ We don't add or engineer genes, and we don't add bacteria. The only thing the male loses is the ability to father offspring.
Are they radioactive?
No. The males are sterilized with X-rays, like a medical X-ray at the doctor's office. Females are removed first, and X-ray sterilization, done in-house, is the last step before the males leave our facility. The males don't keep any radiation and can't pass it on to people, pets, plants or anything that eats them.
1. CDC, "Irradiated mosquitoes," cdc.gov, May 14, 2024.
Safe for everything else in your yard
Sterile males affect one thing: the mosquito species we release. The CDC says irradiated mosquitoes can't make people or animals sick, including fish, birds and pets.¹
1. CDC: "Irradiated mosquitoes cannot make people or animals (for example, fish, birds, pets) sick."
Precisely targeted to two species
Mosquitoes find mates by species, so a sterile male only affects females of his own kind.
That precision is the safety story, and also its limit. The CDC notes that SIT reduces only the type of mosquito released, not all mosquitoes.¹ We release males of the Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes, the ones that bite in yards by day and at dusk. Night-biting mosquitoes are a different species and aren't affected.
Compare that with chemical sprays, foggers and misting systems, which kill insects they touch, whether they're mosquitoes or not.
1. CDC, "Irradiated mosquitoes," cdc.gov, May 14, 2024.
What if a few females get through?
No sorting system is perfect, so here is what happens if one does.
Public programs set a strict limit on how many females can slip through. Lee County's quality-control threshold for females was 0.2% or less, and SMF meets the same standard.¹
What does that mean in your yard? Females are removed before sterilization, so any female that slips through is sterilized along with the males and can't produce offspring. She could bite, like any wild female, but she adds no next generation, and she is one of a very small number among the males. Against the wild females already on your property, it makes no practical difference.
1. Lee County Mosquito Control District. Morreale et al., PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2025; Morreale et al., Infectious Diseases of Poverty, 2025.
Regulation, plainly
What regulators say, in their own words where we can quote them.
Irradiated mosquitoes "are not genetically modified."¹ The CDC describes the method; it doesn't approve companies, and we don't claim it does.
Source →No Texas pest-control license is required for our releases, per the Texas Department of Agriculture.²
What we never claim. We describe our work as reducing local mosquito populations. We don't make health or disease-prevention claims, and nothing on this site should be read as medical advice.
1. CDC, "Irradiated mosquitoes," cdc.gov, May 14, 2024. 2. Written confirmation from the Texas Department of Agriculture, on file with SMF.
FAQ
Do sterile male mosquitoes bite?
No. Only female mosquitoes bite, because they need blood to make eggs. Male mosquitoes feed on nectar. We release males only.
Are sterile mosquitoes safe for dogs and cats?
Yes. The CDC says irradiated mosquitoes cannot make people or animals, including pets, sick. There's no residue on the grass for pets to walk through or lick.
Do sterile mosquitoes harm bees?
No. Male mosquitoes only mate with their own species, and no product goes on flowers. Bees, butterflies and other pollinators are unaffected.
Are irradiated mosquitoes radioactive?
No. The males are sterilized with X-rays, like a medical X-ray, and the X-rays pass through them the way they pass through you. They don't keep any of it and can't pass anything on to people, pets or animals that eat them.
Are sterile mosquitoes genetically modified?
No. The males are not genetically modified, and the CDC says irradiated mosquitoes are not. We don't add genes or bacteria.
Is it safe for fish ponds and pools?
Yes. No product goes into water. The CDC lists fish among the animals irradiated mosquitoes cannot make sick.
Mosquito control your whole household can live with
Kids, dogs, bees and koi included. Tell us about your property.