Northwest Arkansas has more "mosquito days"
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The number of "mosquito days" — those with the hot and humid weather the flying insects crave — has trended upward in Northwest Arkansas over the past several decades, per a new analysis, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.
Between the lines: The study, from nonprofit climate science research organization Climate Central, defines a "mosquito day" as one with average relative humidity of 42% or higher, plus daily temperatures of 50°–95° F.
Why it matters: Mosquitoes are more than just a nuisance — they're a public health threat, carrying diseases such as malaria, West Nile and Zika.
By the numbers: NWA had 137 mosquito days in 2022, compared to 165 in 1979. However, the overall trend shows a slight uptick in average mosquito days per year.
- The big picture: 71% of the 242 locations Climate Central analyzed saw an increase in mosquito days between 1979 and 2022 of about 16 days on average.
Yes, but: Some locations — particularly in the South — are actually getting too hot for mosquitoes, the analysis notes.
- They don't thrive in temperatures above 95°F — an increasingly common reading in Southern summers.
Of note: Other factors, such as rainfall and drought, can also influence mosquito activity.
- They breed in pools of standing water, common after major storms.
What's next: Experimental efforts to control mosquito populations by releasing genetically modified versions of the insects into the wild are underway in Florida and elsewhere.
- Those projects, however, are controversial among some locals and skeptics who view them as tampering with the natural ecosystem.
The bottom line: Mosquitoes — and the diseases they sometimes carry — are shaping up as one more climate change-induced problem for many local officials to worry about.