See PA's Top 'Mosquito Cities' According To New Report

PENNSYLVANIA — It's a dubious honor, to be sure — Pennsylvania's two biggest cities are on Orkin's list of the top 50 "Mosquito Cities" in the U.S., measuring where these pests are the biggest problem.

Summer is mosquito season, and Orkin released its list of the top 50 metro areas where their pest control teams performed the most mosquito control services from April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023.

"Mosquitoes thrive in warm temperatures and after rainfall can lay their eggs in low-lying pools and reproduce rapidly, changing from larva to adult stage in as little as several days to a couple of weeks," Orkin says.

Nationally, Los Angeles was ranked highest with Chicago and New York taking the No. 2 and No. 3 spots. These major metros were in the same spot in 2023 as they were in 2022.

In Pennsylvania, Philadelphia comes in at the top 10 at No. 7, while Pittsburgh moved down the list from last year's ranking to No. 37.

Philadelphia ranked tenth on the list last year, and Pittsburgh was 31st.

And while these blood-suckers can be a nuisance, they also post a public health threat as they are vectors for disease.

The state Department of Environmental Protection already reports some mosquitoes confirmed to be carrying West Nile virus in areas of the state this year based on testing they have done, including Bucks, Dauphin, Clinton, Delaware, and Fayette counties.

Click here to submit a mosquito complaint, or find your county mosquito control coordinator. And to see a list of upcoming mosquito spray dates in the state, click here.

More than 60 species of mosquito are found in Pennsylvania, according to Penn State Extension.

The ones seen most often in the state are the common house mosquito, the white-dotted mosquito, the inland floodwater mosquito, the rock pool mosquito (Aedes japonicus), and the eastern tree hole mosquito, researchers say.

The Pennsylvania DEP and Orkin also provide some tips for reducing where the bugs bite in your home and garden:

• Dump, drain, or treat water in areas such as buckets, tires, bird baths, flowerpots, and tarps once a week to reduce areas where mosquitoes breed and live.
• Use insect repellent, and wear pants and long-sleeved shirts to avoid mosquito bites.
• Clean debris in gutters "regularly," as they provide moisture and food for mosquitoes
• Be extra aware around dusk and dawn, the time when mosquitoes are most active.