Mosquitoes are a bother wherever you live, but some places are considerably worse than others. Do you know the US cities with the most mosquitos? Recently, the pest control company Orkin released its annual report of the Worst US Cities for Mosquitoes*, and Atlanta, GA, for a third year in a row, snagged the not-so-coveted number 1 slot.

US Cities with the Most Mosquitos

Unfortunately, recently matters have gotten worse as the specific species of Zika-carrying mosquitoes were detected in Atlanta in mid-May this year. Local officials have allocated half a million dollars to investigate this issue, but no substantial findings have been concluded thus far. Experts fear that the semi-tropical nature of Atlanta and of the Southern United States in general may be prime environments for the Zika virus to spread.


2. Chicago

Chicago

While mosquitoes are definitely a great annoyance in the Second City, Chicago is very fortunate that the two species of mosquitoes that are known to carry the Zika virus, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, do not naturally live in the state of Illinois. However, that doesn’t mean residents are entirely immune. The city of Chicago confirmed its first local case of the Zika virus in early March when a resident returned home from a trip to Columbia, where she contracted the disease. According to mosquito expert and research assistant at the Chicago Department of Public Health, Alexandra Westrich, “It’s only a matter of how many people here re traveling and bringing it back,” which makes a Zika virus epidemic in Chicago very unlikely.


3. Washington D.C.

Washington D.C.

This summer, residents have been experiencing a notable increase in mosquito activity. The Capitol Mosquito Control on Capitol Hill reports that more than double the number of residents are making calls in for mosquito pest control issues compared to last year. In addition, the record-breaking streak of rainy days has many concerned because the drenched lawns are excellent environments for mosquitoes to breed.


4. Detroit

Detroit

Although Detroit only has an annual high temperature of 56.7 degrees, it is still a top mosquito city. Detroit residents should also be aware that citizens in the neighboring Oakland County has just recently reported that local mosquitoes have tested positive for the West Nile Virus as of July 5, 2016. Fortunately, though, no person has contracted the virus yet, but the Oakland County Health Division Manager, Kathy Forzley, strongly advises residents take proactive measures to protect themselves against mosquito bites.


5. New York City

New York City

In NYC, there are approximately fifty-one different species of mosquitoes, which may seem a little overwhelming for local residents and tourists to deal with. So far, there have been 86 reported cases of the Zika virus in NYC, and all of them were contracted while traveling abroad. Although the metropolis does not naturally have warm environments prime for mosquitoes, NYC officials admit that the city has few defensive strategies to ward against mosquito-related viruses spreading. Therefore, the city has allocated nearly $21 million to be spent strengthening its mosquito testing and control system, including activating a six- step Zika virus action plan that includes giving out larvicide tablets, monitoring local mosquito populations, and establishing a public awareness campaign.


6. Dallas – Ft. Worth

Dallas

There have been six known cases of Zika confirmed in Dallas County: five of which were contracted while traveling abroad and one was contracted through sexual contact. In addition, Dallas County Health and Human Services has also recently confirmed the first human case of the West Nile Virus in the county for this 2016 season. Unfortunately, scientists now report conditions that look eerily similar to the conditions in 2012, when Texas led the entire United States in West Nile virus cases.


7. Nashville, TN

Nashville

This Southern city has an annual high summertime temperature of around 90 degrees with great humidity, which makes it an optimal location for mosquitoes. While the Zika-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquito is not native to Nashville, the other Zika-carrying mosquito, Aedes albopictus, is the most common in the area, so residents are warned to be very cautious and take preventative measures against all mosquito bites.


8. Charlotte, NC

Charlotte

While the Aedes agypti mosquito is not found in North Carolina, Charlotte officials are still taking precautions, specifically by eliminating standing water risks. As of mid-May, the city has surveyed over 1,300 sites that had been identified as potential mosquito breeding sites. If mosquito larvae was

present at these sites, scientists would treat the water with a larvicide to kill the bunch.


9. Raleigh – Durham, NC

Raleigh

North Carolina as a whole has had at least five confirmed cases of the Zika virus, all of which were contracted from travelling abroad. Because of recent budget cuts, the state of North Carolina has somewhat lagged behind the nation in mosquito tracking, but local counties have begun establishing their own mosquito tracking programs.


10. Boston

Boston

According to local officials, mosquitoes in Boston are known to be able to spread both the West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. In fact, on July 7, 2016, scientists confirmed the first case of West Nile Virus in Massachusetts for this season. And, according to the State Health Department’s Chief Disease tracker, Dr. Al DeMaria, “given the heat and dry conditions we have been experiencing, we are expecting to see more and more West Nile virus activity.”


* Report released in 2016, but cites data received in 2015.


Mosquito Infested Areas

Of the 50 US cities cited in this report for dense mosquito populations, exactly half were located in the South, where warm and moist temperatures provide excellent breeding opportunities for these tiny pests. While June, July, and August are usually the optimum months for mosquitoes to annoy the crap out of us, mosquito activity can begin as early as March in the southern United States, according to the Orkin report, and unfortunately, no state in the US is completely immune.

Please keep in mind, though, that this list only reports about cities in the United States. According to DC Mosquito Squad, it is believed that “Brazil, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand have the highest numbers of mosquito species. Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Brazil are recorded to have the highest number of endemic species.However, it is the whole of Africa, South America, and Asia where most of the mosquito- However, it is the whole of Africa, South America, and Asia where most of the mosquito-borne diseases occur.”

So if you do find yourself living in or traveling to one of these mosquito-riddled locations, you can always use Osana all natural mosquito repellent soap to protect yourself and your family from the pests while helping others around the world do the same.


Protection From Mosquitos

Learn what attracts mosquitos, natural mosquito protection like tea tree oil or neem oil, or learn how to make homemade mosquito traps!


References:

“Atlanta, Southeast Region Top Mosquito Cities List.” Orkin. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Climate Detroit – Michigan. U.S. Climate Data. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Climate Nashville – Tennessee. U.S. Climate Data. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2016.

“First Human Case of West Nile Virus Confirmed in Dallas County. NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth. N.p., 06 July 2016. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Garloch, Karen. Zika Threat Looms as Mosquito Season Arrives. The Charlotte Observer. N.p., 16 May 2016. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Lazar, Kay. West Nile Virus Detected in Mosquitoes in Worcester – The Boston Globe. The Boston Globe. N.p., 07 July 2016. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Levy, Nicole. 7 Ways to Keep Mosquitoes and the Zika Virus at Bay This Summer – Whitestone – DNAinfo New York.” DNAinfo New York. N.p., 25 May 2016. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Mosquito-borne Illness. Boston Public Health Commission.” N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Mosquitoes – City of New York. NYC 311.” N.p., n.d. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Mosquitoes In Oakland County Test Positive For West Nile Virus. CBS Detroit.” N.p., 5 July 2016. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Rodriguez, Jonathon. North Carolina Falling behind in Tracking Mosquitoes. North Carolina News – WNCN.” N.p., 23 Mar. 2016. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Saurkauskas, Susan. As Mosquito Season Begins, Will Zika Strike Here? Daily Herald.” Chicago Daily Herald, 02 May 2016. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Shaver, Katherine. As Mosquito Season Shifts into High Gear in the Washington Region, so Do Zika. Washington Post.” The Washington Post, 12 May 2016. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Shaw, Marielle. Chicago Mosquitoes Could Ruin Your Life, But Probably Not With Zika Virus. Chicagoist.” N.p., 2 Mar. 2016. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Siron, Chris. Dallas County Getting Head Start on Fight against Mosquito Season. The Scoop Blog.” The Dallas Morning News, 25 Apr. 2016. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Worst Places in the World for Mosquitoes – DC Mosquito Squad.” DC Mosquito Squad. N.p., 2014. Web. 08 July 2016.

“Zika-carrying Mosquitoes Spotted in Atlanta. 11 Alive: WXIA.” N.p., 16 May 2016. Web. 08 July 2016.

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