Don’t Get Bit: Pools/Mosquito/West Vector Information

A mosquito bite could spread West Nile Virus.
Photo: LA VECTOR CONTROL

After the Palisades Fire, although houses had burned and firefighters complained about the lack of water to put out fires, the sad truth was about every third yard had a full swimming pool.

Many residents with pools drained them others had not. A pool guy regularly came to clean a neighbor’s pool on Radcliffe. In February 2026, he put holes in the bottom of the pool. He said he had lost 55 customers because of the Palisades Fires.

Others who had not put holes in their pools watched them fill up again with the rain.

Regarding standing pools and the possibility of mosquitos breeding, CTN received several suggestions:

• My neighbor’s property does not drain well, and I submitted a service request when it flooded after the first winter rain. I was contacted by the department to confirm that they visited the property and treated it a little more than a week later. Resident can contact LA county Vector Control and submit a service request online.
• Our pool had standing water in it and in June of 2025 we paid to have it drained.  The rains have since added about five feet of water. I went to Vector Control and picked up a bag of mosquito-eating fish in November 2025.  They distribute them for free.We had evidence of mosquitoes before the fish, but none after the fish were added to the pool. Others should try this easy fix.

• We have been in contact with vector for over a year now. My husband has even provided them drone footage with addresses of problematic pools. Please encourage people to use this link or call – they’re out here often. https://www.lawestvector.org/
• I saw the article in Circling the News regarding the potential mosquito outbreak. This is clearly an important concern for our community, especially given the very real risk of West Nile Virus.
• Given the current situation in the Palisades, it would be quite feasible to use drones to quickly and efficiently identify undrained pools throughout the area. Aerial surveys could pinpoint problem locations far more efficiently than ground-based efforts. Additionally, drones could potentially be used to safely and precisely drop mosquito “bits” into affected pools to help prevent larvae from hatching—without requiring property access or raising concerns about trespassing. With so many properties still unoccupied, this may be a practical and scalable solution worth exploring at a community or municipal level.