Atlanta named 4th-worst city for mosquitos, survey finds

ATLANTA – Break out the bug spray and citronella candles, the warmer weather in metro Atlanta means we’ll be dealing with a lot of mosquitos soon.

And when it comes to the blood-sucking pests, a new study ranks Atlanta as one of the worst in the nation for the 10th year in a row.

According to Atlanta-based pest control business Orkin, Atlanta ranks fourth in a list of the top 50 mosquito cities in the United States.

That’s worse than last year, where the capital of the Peach State ranked fifth.

The study is based on treatment data from areas where Orkin performs the most mosquito control services from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023 and includes both residential and commercial treatments.

Taking the top spot for the third year in a row was Los Angeles followed by Chicago and New York City.

Rounding out the top 5 was the Dallas/Fort Worth metro area.

Mosquitos thrive in warm temperatures, and they typically became active when it’s above 68 degrees. Breeding season can begin as early as May and lasts through September.

“Female mosquitoes bite because they need blood to produce viable eggs that will hatch,” said Orkin entomologist Frank Meek. “Mosquitoes are attracted to water sources that can be either clean and fresh or polluted, stagnant or running, in sunny or shaded locations, large or small, and in either cool or hot environments. Because of the wide variety of environments in which mosquitoes can thrive, it’s important to maintain regularly scheduled pest control services.”

Orkin says to avoid mosquito bites you should wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants, apply EPA-registered mosquito repellant, get rid of standing water in your yard, and clean your gutters.