On the air Monday I talked about how mosquitos are drawn to body odor according to new research. They can smell stinky armpits from 350 feet away! If you’re a person that sweats lots, mosquitos probably love you! Now Orkin has released their annual list of the ‘Top 50 Mosquito Cities’ for 2023 and Charlotte is in the top 10.
According to Orkin, the rankings are based on data from the metro areas where they did the most mosquito control services from April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023. The largest cities will be at the top of the list since more calls are made to the company where more people live. Makes sense.
Orkin says there are 200 types of mosquitoes that live in the continental U.S. and its territories. However, they typically become active when temperatures are above 68 degrees Fahrenheit overnight. Their breeding season can start as early as May and last through September, although there are some regions seeing mosquitoes year-round.
Orkin has tips so that you can try and avoid pesky mosquito bites, and they include wearing loose-fitting clothing, eliminate standing water outside, and use mosquito repellant containing products such as DEET. For more tips and info, check out the Orkin site. If you’re like me and seem to attract mosquitos, have some Benadryl cream and pills on hand to stop the itching.
For the third year in a row, Los Angeles is at the top of the list, followed by Chicago and then New York. Atlanta has moved up two spots this year to fourth. Charlotte is in the top 10 for the first time, moving up eight spots. Oh goody! LOL! The Raleigh/Durham area came in at number 11.
Other Carolina cities that made the list are Greenville, South Carolina at number 26, Myrtle Beach jumped four spots to number 44, and Greensboro came in at number 47.
The Top 10 Mosquito Cities for 2023
- Los Angeles
- Chicago
- New York
- Atlanta
- Dallas/Ft. Worth
- Washington, D.C.
- Philadelphia
- Detroit
- Houston
- Charlotte