Atlanta Holds Top Spot on Orkin's 2018 Mosquito Cities List

ATLANTA — For the fifth year in a row, the Atlanta area Orkin's Top 50 Mosquito Cities list, released today. Atlanta is followed on the list by Dallas, which jumped four spots from last year, New York and Washington, D.C. Texas holds the most spots on this year's list with seven cities, followed by Florida and Louisiana with four cities each.

"Mosquitoes continue to be a major health concern, especially in the summer months," said Orkin entomologist, Chelle Hartzer. "According to the CDC, vector-borne diseases like Zika virus and West Nile virus have tripled since 2004. These mosquito-borne diseases may have serious side effects."

Mosquito season starts when Spring temperatures arrive, and they are most active in temperatures above 80 degrees. Breeding season is usually July through September, while peak West Nile virus season is usually not until late August through September or even October in some areas. Temperatures need to be around freezing before mosquitoes will start to die off for the winter.

Orkin's Top 50 Mosquito Cities list ranks metro areas by the number of new mosquito customers served from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. The list includes both residential and commercial treatments.