President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order to eliminate invasive ticks and mosquitoes in the Federal jurisdiction of Washington, D.C. through safe and effective, non-chemical, and technology-enabled methods, and invest in pioneering approaches to eliminate these pests throughout the country.

Read the Executive Order and Fact Sheet below:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1.  Background and Purpose.  Ticks and mosquitoes are among the deadliest animals worldwide, transmitting major diseases that impose growing health and economic burdens on the American public.  Foreign, invasive mosquitoes, especially the Asian tiger and Egyptian mosquitoes, are multiplying across the United States and have become the dominant species in some areas, including the District of Columbia (D.C.), spreading disease and diminishing quality of life.  Furthermore, the expanding tick populations in the United States expose Americans, our pets, and our livestock to debilitating and expensive health risks.  Historical approaches have relied primarily on the use of conventional pesticides; however, the use of commonsense, non-chemical, technology-enabled measures can significantly reduce the negative effects of these pests, enhancing enjoyment of the great outdoors for all Americans.

Sec. 2.  Policy.  It is the policy of the United States to develop and deploy commonsense approaches and technological capabilities to suppress tick and mosquito populations and address the harms these insects cause, using improved detection, screening, prevention, and health care interventions.  These goals will be achieved through the following policy priorities:

(a)  Leading the world in safe and effective tick and mosquito population control to prevent disease through smart land management techniques and procedures, natural predator populations, non-chemical pest control measures, and advanced technologies, including sterile insect techniques and insect control tools developed with safe and effective biotechnologies.

(b)  Diagnosing, preventing, and treating the syndromes and diseases spread by ticks and mosquitoes in the United States, including alpha-gal syndrome, Theileriosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Lyme disease, and Babesiosis (spread by ticks), and viral infections such as West Nile, Zika, Chikungunya, and Dengue fever (spread by mosquitoes).

(c)  Advancing the objectives of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force set forth in Executive Order 14252 of March 27, 2025 (Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful), by reducing the invasive tick and mosquito populations across D.C. both safely and effectively, without negative effects on beneficial insects, native plants and animals, or the natural beauty of our parks, waterways, and recreational areas.

(d)  Expanding the successful techniques and approaches developed in section 3 of this order as a model for nationwide control of tick and invasive mosquito populations.

Sec. 3.  Implementation.  (a)  Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Administrator of General Services, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall develop and implement a campaign across D.C. to, by 2028, reduce the Asian tiger mosquito, Egyptian mosquito, and other invasive mosquito populations, as appropriate, by 90 percent and reduce the tick population by 50 percent, with further reductions as practicable.  The campaign shall:

(i)    remediate tick and mosquito breeding grounds on lands subject to Federal jurisdiction throughout D.C., including by reducing tick and mosquito habitats through landscaping and drainage improvements, e.g., mowing and rain gardens, and strategic deployment of natural, targeted controls;

(ii)   control pest transport and key host reservoir or amplification populations, including rodents and deer, that facilitate ticks and tickborne diseases;

(iii)  prioritize the use of commercial capabilities or cooperative agreements, including the deployment of advanced technological solutions such as sterile insect techniques for mosquitoes or other safe and effective biotechnologies; and

(iv)   include a plan, developed in consultation with the Government of D.C., as appropriate, for implementing tick and mosquito controls on lands across D.C. communities.

(b)  Within 60 days of the date of this order, to expedite the campaign ordered in subsection 3(a) of this order, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall:

(i)   submit to the President, through the Assistant to the President and Homeland Security Advisor, a regulatory framework, informed by relevant academic centers and industry, for the planned development and release into the environment of advanced, safe, and effective tick and mosquito control technologies.  This framework shall consider sterilization techniques, safe genetic modification, and use of safe, beneficial bacteria, in alignment with Executive Order 14292 of May 5, 2025 (Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research); and

(ii)  prioritize and expeditiously advance or register novel tick and mosquito control methods or products that the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency finds to be both safe and effective.

(c)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, building on the Lyme Disease Moonshot initiative already underway, as appropriate, shall:

(i)   issue prize competition announcements under 15 U.S.C. 3719 or other applicable laws, or direct research and development programs for rapid diagnostics to identify, prophylactics to prevent — and therapeutics to treat — tick- and mosquito-borne diseases of consequence as determined by the head of the agency, including those listed in subsection 2(b) of this order; and

(ii)  review available and candidate immunotherapy treatments for alpha-gal syndrome and develop a research agenda to accelerate the clinical review of viable candidates.

(d)  Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Agriculture, in coordination with the Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, shall issue prize competition announcements under 15 U.S.C. 3719 or other applicable laws, or direct research programs, for the development of non-chemical means to reduce tick- and mosquito‑borne diseases of consequence, including through reducing tick and mosquito populations.

(e)  Within 60 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, as appropriate, shall explore options for labeling food and drug products that include significant amounts of alpha-galactose, in a manner similar to other allergy warnings.

(f)  The Secretary of the Interior, the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and the heads of other relevant agencies, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall review available resources to support the implementation of this order.

Sec. 4.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or

(ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

(b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.

(d)  The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of the Interior.

DONALD J. TRUMP