Trump Orders Mosquito and Tick Cuts in Washington by 2028

President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to reduce populations of invasive mosquitoes and ticks in Washington, D.C., with targets of a 90 percent reduction in specified mosquito populations and a 50 percent reduction in ticks by 2028. The order focuses initially on federal land in the District and assigns agencies to develop a campaign and consider new pest-control methods. The targeted mosquitoes include the Asian tiger and Egyptian species. The order also covers other invasive mosquito populations as appropriate, according to its reported terms. It calls on federal departments and agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services, to participate in the effort. Several accounts of the order say agencies must develop a campaign or submit plans within 60 days. The reports differ on whether that period is for planning or for carrying out the campaign, so the two should not be treated as the same deadline.