In Missouri, ticks and mosquitos are two vectors of environmentally-related human disease with ticks resulting in more disease cases than mosquitos. While mosquitos can be locally abundant, those typically found in rice fields and floodwaters are not vector mosquitos – these are the ones responsible for spreading disease. From a human disease standpoint mosquitos can be grouped as vectors and non-vectors. Vector mosquitos have been show to transmit human disease-causing organisms like West Nile Virus and several encephalitis diseases (St. Louis, Western Equine, Eastern Equine and LaCrosse). Vector mosquitos tend to breed in stagnant standing water, often in close proximity to people. Since disease prevention is the key turning over buckets or anything that can catch water is effective in controlling them. Non-vector mosquitos do not transmit human disease and so they pose no risk to public health.