California City Named Top Mosquito Area
Three West Coast cities make the Top 50 list for the first time
Los Angeles was named the top mosquito city in national pest control company Orkin’s annual list. Atlanta, which held the top spot for the past seven years, is number two.
Orkin’s Top 50 Mosquito Cities list ranks metro areas by the number of mosquito customers served from April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. The list includes both residential and commercial treatments. The remaining top 10 cities include:
- Washington, DC
- Dallas
- Chicago
- New York
- Detroit
- Miami
- Charlotte, North Carolina
- Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.
Three new cities made the list this year—all on the West Coast: Seattle, San Diego, and Fresno, California.
Mosquitoes typically become active when temperatures are above 68 degrees Fahrenheit overnight, and breeding season can start as early as May and last through September. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mosquitoes are most likely to bite between dusk and dawn. They can transmit diseases to humans and animals including West Nile Virus, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and Zika.
Facility managers can prevent mosquitoes from living breeding around their buildings by:
- Eliminating any sources of standing water such as fountains and potted plants
- Cleaning debris in gutters that provide moisture and harborage
- Clearing overgrown shrubbery that provides dark, humid resting places
- Replacing torn or missing window and door screens that allow insects inside buildings.
Learn more about eliminating mosquitoes and other seasonal insect pests from your facility.