Atlanta Tops Mosquito Cities List

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May 18, 2015, 07:03 ET

ATLANTA, May 18, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlanta tops pest control leader Orkin's list of Top Mosquito Cities for the second year in a row. The list ranks cities by the number of mosquito customers serviced in 2014.

Nine cities in the Southeast are included in the top 20 ranking – more than any other region:

Use Orkin's information to help identify mosquitoes, learn more about their bites and help prevent them from hanging around your home.

The Asian tiger mosquito can spread the chikungunya virus and is common in the Southeast United States and parts of the Southwest. Unlike other species, the Asian tiger is active throughout the day, not just at dusk and dawn, and often lives around buildings in urban areas.

1.	Atlanta	11.	Memphis, Tenn.
2.	Chicago	12.	Grand Rapids – Kalamazoo – Battle Creek, Mich.
3.	Washington	13.	Miami – Fort Lauderdale
4.	Detroit	14.	Richmond – Petersburg, Va.
5.	Houston	15.	Minneapolis – St. Paul
6.	Raleigh – Durham, N.C.	16.	New York
7.	Boston	17.	Cleveland – Akron
8.	Dallas – Fort Worth	18.	Greenville – Spartanburg, S.C., Asheville, N.C.
9.	Charlotte, N.C.	19.	Albany – Schenectady – Troy, N.Y.
10.	Nashville, Tenn.	20.	Knoxville, Tenn.

June, July and August are prime mosquito months in most areas. Because of warmer temperatures in the southern part of the United States, the season can extend from April to October, but mosquitoes affect people in every state in the U.S.

Health Concerns:
"Mosquitoes can be a major health concern during the summer, no matter where you live," said Entomologist and Orkin Technical Services Director Ron Harrison, Ph.D. "Their bites can cause allergic reactions and spread diseases, which means families need to take precautions against mosquitoes when outdoors in their own yards and around their communities, as well as when they travel."

Mosquito bites can transmit West Nile virus and other conditions that cause encephalitis -- or swelling of the brain -- as well as a relatively new virus in the United States called chikungunya virus. Mosquitoes become infected with chikungunya virus when they feed on a person already infected with the virus. Infected mosquitoes can then spread the virus to other people through bites.

In 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention upgraded chikungunya virus to a "nationally notifiable condition" in the United States, providing state and local health departments with standard definitions for reporting and tracking cases. So far this year, the more than 70 reported American cases of chikungunya virus occurred in travelers returning from the Caribbean and other affected areas outside the U.S. In 2014 more than 2,400 cases were reported in travelers and nearly a dozen locally-transmitted cases were reported in Florida.

The two mosquito species that can spread the chikungunya virus – Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes -- are common in the Southeast United States and parts of the Southwest. Unlike other species, the Asian tiger and yellow fever mosquitoes are active throughout the day, not just at dusk and dawn, and often live around buildings in urban areas.

Prevention is Key: The CDC lists the common symptoms of chikungunya virus as fever and joint pain. Much like West Nile virus, there is no vaccine or cure for chikungunya virus, so preventing mosquito bites is the only protection against the virus.

Orkin recommends the following tips to help protect against mosquito bites:

Apply an EPA-registered insect repellent before heading outside.
Wear long sleeves and pants outside from dawn to dusk, which is prime time for most mosquito activity.
Empty any standing water from bird baths, flower planters as well as toys and playground equipment outside the home to help prevent water from collecting. Mosquitoes only need a small amount of water – just a few inches – to breed.
Clean gutters and downspouts regularly or cover them with mesh to help prevent leaves and debris from collecting and holding water.
Make sure screens around the home, both on windows and doors, fit tightly and have no holes to help keep mosquitoes from making their way into the house.
Eliminate standing water inside the home that may attract mosquitoes to spaces like kitchen sinks and pet bowls.

Rollins, Orkin's parent company, experienced an 8.6% increase in mosquito revenue from 2013 to 2014.

"Fewer and fewer governments provide mosquito control, and the ones that do don't treat homeowners' yards," Harrison said. "A mosquito treatment plan from a trained pest control provider is just one more way for homeowners to reclaim their yards during mosquito season."

For more information about mosquito prevention, visit Orkin.com.

About Orkin, LLC
Founded in 1901, Atlanta-based Orkin is an industry leader in essential pest control services and protection against termite damage, rodents and insects. The company operates more than 400 locations with almost 8,000 employees. Using a proprietary, three-step approach, Orkin provides customized services to approximately 1.7 million homeowners and businesses in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, South America, Central America, the Middle East, the Caribbean, Asia, the Mediterranean and Africa. Orkin is committed to studying pest biology and applying scientifically proven methods. The company collaborates with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and eight major universities to conduct research and help educate consumers and businesses on pest-related health threats. Learn more about Orkin at http://orkin.com. Orkin is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rollins Inc. (NYSE: ROL).