Get your Off spray and some bottles of Caladryl ready, because summer is just around the corner and Los Angeles is officially the national capital of mosquitoes. At least, that’s what a recent study claims, putting our city at the top of the infamous list of favorite spots for these pesky insects.
The study, conducted by the Pest Control company, Termix, pinpointed the 50 most mosquito-infested cities throughout the United States. These cities were selected, based on service data from over 300 branches of Terminix across the nation, focusing on areas where residents utilized the highest volume of mosquito control services – here are the top 25 cities with the most mosquitoes:
- Los Angeles, CA
- New York, NY
- Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX
- Atlanta, GA
- Philadelphia, PA
- Washington, DC (Hagerstown, MD)
- Houston, TX
- Tampa-St Pete, FL
- Orlando-Daytona, FL
- San Francisco, CA
- Miamia-Ft. Lauderdale, FL
- Palm Springs, CA
- Memphis, TN
- Baltimore, MD
- San Antonio, TX
- Nashville, TN
- Sacramento, CA
- Boston, MA
- Mobile, AL – Pensacola, FL
- San Diego, CA
- Detroit, MI
- Little Rock, AR
- Chicago, IL
- Indianapolis, IN
- Jacksonville, FL
It appears that the annoying insects are beginning to appear earlier and persist for longer periods compared to previous years, coinciding with the overall rise in temperatures across the nation. But why is LA specifically the mosquito epicenter in the US?
Besides climate change, which is the root of most of these types of bug issues, when it comes to our city, according to an article from the Los Angeles Times from last year, there’s a reason why LA leads the “mosquito index.”
It seems there are roughly one million parcels in the city area. Not all of which are residential. Various items, such as bottle caps, lawn drains, saucers, and toolboxes, are left exposed to collect water. This stagnant water provides an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes, as they lay their eggs there. Certain mosquito species can even breed in areas with tiny amounts of water, such as rainwater trapped in the creases of a crumpled potato chip bag.
Fortunately, there are some ways to take action and stop this potentially itchy situation:
- Eliminate standing water: The presence of stagnant water is crucial for mosquito breeding, so it’s recommended to dispose containers and cleaning areas, prone to water accumulation, their ability to breed larvae is significantly reduced.
- Keep drainage areas clean: Cleaning and clearing out rain gutters and drainage areas help prevent them from becoming mosquito breeding grounds.
- Change water frequently: It’s important to regularly change water in outdoor containers, such as bird baths and small pools, to prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs.
- Cover water containers: Covering rain barrels and other water storage containers helps prevent mosquitoes from laying eggs in them.
- Use larvicides and larvicide fish: Applying larvicides to stagnant bodies of water and introducing fish that feed on mosquito larvae help control their population in areas, where eliminating standing water is not possible or practical.