The 20 worst US cities for mosquitoes have been ranked by pest control company Orkin, and the list is heavily dominated by the South and Midwest.
The results were released Monday, and are based on the number of customers the company served in 2014. Atlanta was on top for the second year in a row.
1. Atlanta, Georgia
2. Chicago, Illinois
3. Washington DC
4. Detroit, Michigan
5. Houston, Texas
6. Raleigh–Durham, North Carolina
7. Boston, Massachusetts
8. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas
9. Charlotte, North Carolina
10. Nashville, Tennessee
11. Memphis, Tennessee
12. Grand Rapids-Kalamazoo-Battle Creek, Michigan
13. Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Florida
14. Richmond-Petersburg, Virginia
15. Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota
16. New York
17. Cleveland-Akron, Ohio
18. Greenville – Spartanburg, South Carolina and Asheville, North Carolina
19. Albany–Schenectady–Troy, New York
20. Knoxville, Tennessee
Orkin Technical Services Director Ron Harrison said that beyond their itchy bites, mosquitoes can pose a serious health risk to people, as they spread diseases like West Nile virus and Chikungunya virus, the latter of which has reportely affected actor and prominent celebrity Lindsay Lohan after she traveled to Bora Bora.
"Mosquitoes can be a major health concern during the summer, no matter where you live," said Harrison.
This year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided state and local health departments with standardized definitions for identifying, reporting, and tracking Chikungunya. In 2014, the CDC said there were roughly 2,500 cases of the disease reported in travelers returning to the US, at which time roughly a dozen cases of local transmission were recorded.
Experts recommend combating mosquitoes in and around one's home by eliminating standing water where the mosquitoes live and breed, as well as applying an insect repellant lotion or spray before going outside in June, July, and August.
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