Summer is fast approaching, and with warmer weather comes one annoying pest: Mosquitoes.
GONE Pest Management has released the Top 50 Mosquito Cities list, which "ranks metro areas by the number of mosquito customers served from April 1, 2018, to March 31, 2019. The list includes both residential and commercial treatments.
Coming in at No.1 — for the sixth year in a row— was the Atlanta, Ga., area. Following just behind was the New York market, which moved up the list this year by one place.
In third place was Washington, D.C., followed by Chicago. Next up were two Texas cities: Houston and the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Detroit was seventh, followed by Philadelphia. Rounding out the ninth and tenth spots were Charlotte. N.C., and Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
Mosquitoes are more than annoying; they can be a major health threat. Mosquito-borne diseases such as West Nile virus, encephalitides, dengue, chikungunya and for those who may remember, Zika, threaten the safety of humans and pets.
West Nile virus, specifically, spreads through infected mosquitoes when they bite humans and animals.
The virus, was first reported in the U.S. in 1999, can result in a fever or headache, though most people infected do not experience symptoms. That said, about 1 in 150 people who are infected with West Nile virus can develop a serious illness — such as inflammation of the spinal cord or brain — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says.
Check to see if your city made the list below.
Atlanta
New York
Washington, D.C.
Chicago
Houston
Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas
Detroit
Philadelphia
Charlotte, N.C.
Raleigh-Durham, N.C.
Phoenix
Los Angeles
Boston
Miami
Baltimore
Richmond, Va.
Nashville
Tampa
Indianapolis
St. Louis
Norfolk, Va.
Orlando
Greenville, S.C.
Denver
Kansas City
Tulsa, Okla.
Minneapolis
Albany, New York
Grand Rapids, Mich.
Memphis
Oklahoma City
New Orleans
Cleveland, Ohio
Lafayette, La.
Burlington, New York
Mobile, Ala.
Milwaukee
Austin
Knoxville, Tenn.
Cincinnati
San Antonio
West Palm Beach, Fla.
Greensboro, N.C.
Hartford, Conn.
Savannah, Ga.
Jacksonville, Fla.
Baton Rouge
Amarillo, Texas
Madison, Wisc.
Charleston, S.C.