Mosquitos can be a homeowner’s nemesis. As the temperatures rise, mosquitoes are coming out. The mosquito season typically runs April to October. Yards can quickly become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, particularly your vacant listings, if you don’t take precautions (see sidebar).
And if you live in Atlanta, you’ll want to take added precaution. Atlanta landed at the top of the list of top 50 mosquito cities in the country, according to Orkin LLC, a national pest company. The Southeast region of the U.S. is most at risk for mosquito problems.
“Mosquitoes are a public health threat,” says Mark Beavers, an Orkin entomologist. “Zika virus is currently one of the most notable illnesses that can be spread by mosquitoes, and it will likely be a problem again this year, especially in areas where the type of mosquito that can carry the virus thrives.”
Orkin ranked metro areas by the number of mosquito customers in both residential and commercial served from April 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017. The following metros have the biggest mosquito problems, according to Orkin:
- Atlanta
- Washington, D.C.
- Chicago
- New York
- Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
- Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas
- Houston
- Detroit
- Charlotte, N.C.
- Nashville, Tenn.
- Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla.
- Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Fla.
- Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, Va.
- Memphis, Tenn.
- Mobile-Pensacola, Fla.
Source: Orkin LLC
