Trump EO addresses uptick in disease-carrying pest
Although the executive order technically applies only to D.C., the research will still benefit Wisconsin as mosquito and tick populations increase.
Although climate change was not mentioned, President Trump’s recent executive order addresses the rise in diseases carried by ticks and mosquitoes, a symptom of warmer and wetter climate trends.
Under the Eliminating Disease-Carrying Pests and Restoring Enjoyment of the Great Outdoors EO, federal agencies were ordered to develop a plan within 60 days to reduce the invasive tick population by 50% and mosquito population by 90% across D.C. by the end of 2028.
The plan would include habitat management, landscaping improvements, drainage upgrades, sterilization, and safe genetic modifications. It would also expand research of diseases spread by mosquitoes and ticks, including Lyme disease.
Although the executive order technically applies only to D.C., the research will still benefit Wisconsin as mosquito and tick populations increase.
Flooding can create standing water, a prime breeding ground for mosquitoes. Warmer winters with fewer hard freezes mean fewer mosquitoes die off, lengthening how long West Nile virus can spread. Also, Wisconsin has recently discovered new mosquito species carrying new diseases.
Changing weather and climate also influence tick numbers and where they live in Wisconsin. Tick populations have spread throughout Wisconsin. The most common disease spread by deer ticks is Lyme disease. Wisconsin recorded nearly 9,000 cases of Lyme disease in 2025, the highest annual total on record.
Learn more about mosquito and tick diseases on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.
This is the 288th executive order President Trump has signed in his second term. He signed 230 executive orders in his first term.
