Northwest Mosquito Abatement District

What Northwest Mosquito Abatement District does

Northwest Mosquito Abatement District (NWMAD) is a special-purpose unit of local government in Illinois, established in April 1956, that provides integrated mosquito management and tick surveillance services across 242 square miles in the northwest suburbs of Cook County. The District operates 35 mosquito traps from May 1 through October, with mosquitoes collected Monday through Friday, identified to species, and tested for West Nile virus; data is shared with the Cook County Department of Public Health for regional surveillance reporting. Treatment programs include larval control (using EPA-registered products such as Altosid, Natular, VectoBac G, VectoLex FG, and Sumilarv applied April-October) and adult mosquito control (Anvil 10+10 UVL and Zenivex E20 applied 8 PM to 2 AM). Weekly Mosquito and Tick Reports are authored by staff entomologist Patrick Irwin, PhD, and a Personal Protection Index (1-4 scale) communicates current West Nile virus risk to residents.

NWMAD is funded through property taxes levied within its statutory district boundaries, and all surveillance, treatment, and education services are provided free of charge to residents and organizations in the 13+ communities it serves, including Wheeling, Schaumburg, Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Palatine, Mount Prospect, and others. The District expanded its service scope in January 2025 to include tick surveillance following amendment of the Illinois Mosquito Abatement Districts Act, adding tick drag sampling and species identification (deer ticks, dog ticks) to its portfolio. Community education, including the Fight the Bite campaign, Kids' Corner content, and farmers market / Earth Day outreach, supplements operational services. Operations are governed by a Board of Trustees (President Daniel R. Ansani serving since 2012) and managed by Director James P. Thennisch, who has been with the District for over 40 years and Director since 2019.

The District maintains four operational facilities (Wheeling headquarters, Rolling Meadows temporary offices during construction, Bartlett, and Elk Grove Village), and a multi-year modernization project to rebuild the Wheeling lab, office, and fleet maintenance complex began construction in November 2025, with completion targeted for Fall 2026. NWMAD is a member of the American Mosquito Control Association, the Illinois Mosquito & Vector Control Association, and partners with The Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector Borne Disease and the Cook County Department of Public Health.

Name

Northwest Mosquito Abatement District

Legal name

Northwest Mosquito Abatement District

Website

https://nwmadil.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Northwest Mosquito Abatement District is a special-purpose Illinois government unit providing integrated mosquito management and tick surveillance across 242 square miles in the northwest suburbs of Cook County, serving residents free of charge via property tax funding since 1956.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vector Control & Public Health Services

NAICS

Exterminating and Pest Control Services (561710), Exterminating and Pest Control Services (56171)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Mosquito & Tick Control (IMAIAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tick & Flea Yard Treatments (HSAIANAB), Grounds Pest & Mosquito Control (Outdoor) (BPABADAK)

Keywords

• Mosquito abatement services
• Vector control programs
• West Nile virus surveillance
• Tick surveillance services
• Public health pest management

Headquarters

HQ city

Wheeling

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

NWMAD is a special-purpose local government entity that conducts integrated mosquito management and vector surveillance across 242 square miles of the northwest suburbs of Cook County, Illinois. It operates 35 mosquito traps to monitor populations and West Nile virus, applies EPA-registered larvicides (Altosid, Natular, VectoBac, VectoLex, Sumilarv) and adulticides (Anvil 10+10 UVL, Zenivex E20), produces weekly population reports authored by a PhD entomologist, and expanded into tick surveillance in January 2025. All services are provided free of charge to district residents and funded through property taxes.

Product overview

Northwest Mosquito Abatement District (NWMAD) provides integrated mosquito management and tick surveillance services across 242 square miles in the northwest suburbs of Cook County, Illinois. The District operates 35 mosquito traps for surveillance, conducts weekly population and West Nile virus monitoring reports (May-October), and offers both larvicide and adulticide treatment programs using EPA-registered products. Core offerings include the Personal Protection Index for risk assessment, a service request system for resident complaints, community education programs (Fight the Bite, Kids' Corner), and interactive district mapping. The District expanded its services in 2025 to include tick surveillance following Illinois legislative changes. A major facility modernization project at the Wheeling location is underway to enhance lab, office, and fleet maintenance capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mosquito Trapping and Surveillance Operates 35 mosquito traps throughout the 242 square mile district to track mosquito populations and West Nile virus; mosquitoes are collected daily Monday through Friday and identified to species during the May 1 to October surveillance season.
• Weekly Mosquito and Tick Report Weekly reports on mosquito and tick populations written by NWMAD Entomologist Patrick Irwin, PhD, covering the district from May through October.
• Adulticide Treatment Program Adult mosquito control using EPA-registered products such as Anvil 10+10 UVL and Zenivex E20, applied during evening hours (8 PM - 2 AM) from April 1 through October 30 across the district.
• Larvicide Treatment Program Larval mosquito control using EPA-registered products including Altosid (methoprene), Natular (spinosad), VectoBac G (BTI), VectoLex FG (Bacillus sphaericus), and Sumilarv (pyriproxyfen), applied during daytime hours (7 AM - 3:30 PM) from April 1 through October 30.
• Tick Surveillance Program Tick monitoring and surveillance services added in 2025 following Illinois legislative amendment, including tick drag sampling and identification of tick species including deer ticks and dog ticks.
• Personal Protection Index Daily risk-level assessment tool (1-4 scale) that indicates the current risk of contracting West Nile virus from mosquitoes, providing the public with corresponding personal protection recommendations.
• Service Request System Online submission system allowing residents to report mosquito issues including adult mosquitoes, larvae present, standing water sources, pool issues, catch basins, and creek problems on their own or neighboring property or in the neighborhood.
• Community Education and Outreach Educational outreach including Fight the Bite campaign, Mosquito Information, Tick Information, Kids' Corner resources, and informational presentations for community organizations and schools on mosquito and tick-borne disease prevention.
• Interactive District Mapping Interactive mapping tools allowing residents to search district boundaries and view coverage-area maps of the 242-square-mile district.
• West Nile Virus Surveillance Coordination Testing of mosquito species for West Nile virus with data shared through the Cook County Department of Public Health's Weekly West Nile Virus Surveillance Data, supporting regional public-health coordination.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mosquitoes live 14-20 days on average, populations fluctuate during summer months

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Mosquito Control AssociationminorOthersProfessional association membership providing industry standards, best practices, and networking for mosquito control professionals.
• Illinois Mosquito & Vector Control AssociationminorOthersState-level professional association connecting Illinois mosquito abatement districts and providing resources for vector control operations.
• The Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector Borne DiseaseminorOthersAcademic/research partnership providing expertise and resources for vector-borne disease surveillance and control in the Midwest region.
• Cook County Department of Public Health (CCDPH)coreOthersData sharing partnership for West Nile virus surveillance. NWMAD shares mosquito testing data with CCDPH, which publishes weekly surveillance data for the region. This is the primary data coordination relationship for public health reporting.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Clarke: A long-established private-sector mosquito control and water-quality company providing larvicides, adulticides, and contracted abatement services to municipalities and abatement districts, including supplying products NWMAD uses.
• Vector Disease Control International (VDCI): A large private vector control contractor providing comprehensive mosquito and tick control services to government clients nationwide, broadly comparable to NWMAD's mandate but operating commercially and across many districts.

Emerging players

• Mosquito Squad: National franchise network providing residential mosquito and tick control services, comparable to NWMAD's outdoor pest control function but delivered through a private commercial model.
• Mosquito Joe: A residential-focused mosquito and tick control franchise offering barrier spray services to homeowners; occupies the consumer-facing adjacent to the public-health mandate NWMAD performs.

Others

• American Mosquito Control Association: National professional association of which NWMAD is a member, setting industry standards and best practices for mosquito control; comparable as an ecosystem-level peer rather than a direct operator.
• Cook County Department of Public Health: Public health agency that partners with NWMAD on West Nile virus surveillance data sharing and serves as the broader county-level coordinator for vector-borne disease response.
• The Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector Borne Disease: University of Wisconsin-led research and training center that NWMAD partners with for vector-borne disease expertise; not a service provider but a closely aligned ecosystem peer in vector surveillance science.

Direct peers

• South Cook County Mosquito Abatement District: A fellow Illinois mosquito abatement special district covering the south suburbs of Cook County, operating the same integrated mosquito management model (larviciding, adulticiding, surveillance, West Nile virus testing) under the same Illinois statute.
• North Shore Mosquito Abatement District: Another Illinois mosquito abatement district serving the North Shore suburbs, directly comparable in mandate, governance structure, and service portfolio to NWMAD.
• Des Plaines Valley Mosquito Abatement District: An Illinois mosquito abatement district operating under the same Mosquito Abatement Districts Act, providing the same larvicide/adulticide and West Nile virus surveillance services to a defined geographic district.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/northwest-mosquito-abatement-district
• Instagraminstagram.com/nwmadil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Northwest Mosquito Abatement District