Tampa, St. Pete Make Worst Mosquito Cities List

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Bay area might not be the worst in the country for mosquitoes, but it comes close. In fact, Tampa and St. Petersburg moved up significantly in Orkin’s annual ranking of the country’s Top 50 Mosquito Cities, earning 11th place this year. First-place for the fourth year in a row went to Atlanta.

Since the winged bloodsuckers tend to become more active as the temperatures rise, Orkin releases its list each year just before summer begins. While many of the cities on the list are in the mid-Atlantic or Southeastern states, some chillier places like Chicago and New York, made the top five.

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Besides making life outdoors uncomfortable, mosquitoes are one of the world’s most dangerous pests, affecting humans and animals alike. Internationally, they can transmit diseases such as malaria, yellow fever and dengue fever through their bites. In the United States, mosquitoes are known to transmit West Nile virus and other illnesses that can cause encephalitis, or swelling of the brain.

Residents should take steps to guard against Zika transmission given the link between Zika infection of pregnant women and the occurrence of birth defects in their babies. According to the CDC, Zika virus is chiefly spread through mosquito bites.

“Mosquitoes are a public health threat,” said Orkin entomologist Mark Beavers, Ph.D. “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."

The cities on Orkin’s list are ranked by the number of residential and commercial mosquito treatments the company performed from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017. The numbers after a city’s name signify movement up or down in ranking from last year’s list:

1. Atlanta

2. Washington, D.C. (+1)

3. Chicago (-1)

4. New York (+1)

5. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (+8)

6. Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas

7. Houston (+5)

8. Detroit (-4)

9. Charlotte, N.C. (-1)

10.Nashville, Tenn. (-3)

11. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Fla. (+11)

12. Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne, Fla. (+11)

13. Norfolk-Portsmouth-Newport News, Va. (+1)

14. Memphis, Tenn. (-3)

15. Mobile-Pensacola, Fla. (+11)

16. West Palm Beach-Ft. Pierce, Fla. (+15)

17. Raleigh-Durham, N.C. (-8)

18. Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Mich. (-3)

19. Boston (-9)

20. Phoenix, Ariz.

Repelling Bloodsuckers

Conventional mosquito repellents containing higher concentrations (23.8%) of DEET or picaridin offer the best protection, says WebMD. The EPA says mosquito repellents that contain DEET or picaridin are safe for adults and children over the age of 2 months, when used correctly.

But there are other options that are deemed "natural" because they are derived from natural materials such as plants. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is a natural, plant-based oil that prevents mosquito bites as products that contain lower concentrations (6.65%) of DEET.

Citronella oil, popular in candles, hasn't been proven effective at actually keeping the insects away, says the website, and the same is true for garlic ingested to ward off mosquitoes.

The CDC offers these tips to prevent the spread of the disease:

• Wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
• Stay in places with air conditioning and window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.
• Take steps to control mosquitoes inside and outside your home.
• Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and are not able to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

Eliminate Mosquito-Friendly Conditions in and Around Your Yard

• Remove standing water buckets, toys and other containers, as mosquitoes can breed in just an inch of standing water.
• Change water weekly in bird baths, fountains, potted plants and any containers that hold standing water.
• Keep pool water treated and circulating.
• Regularly clean gutters so water doesn’t pool.
• Trim shrubbery, as adult mosquitoes like to rest in dark areas with high humidity, such as under the leaves of lush vegetation.

Eliminate Entry Points

• Repair and use window and door screens to help prevent entry.
• Close gaps around windows and doors to prevent mosquitoes from getting inside.

Patch's Deb Belt contributed to this story

Image via Shutterstock