Richmond's mosquito season is getting longer
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The number of "mosquito days" — that is, those with the hot and humid weather the flying insects crave — has trended upward in Richmond over the past several decades, per a new analysis.
- The report, 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, Zika and more.
By the numbers: Richmond had 187 mosquito days in 2022, compared to 169 in 1979 — an increase of 18.
The big picture: 71% of the 242 locations Climate Central analyzed saw an increase of about 16 days on average between 1979 and 2022.
Zoom in: Santa Maria, California; San Francisco and State College, Pennsylvania, saw the greatest increases in mosquito days during that time frame, at 43 days, 42 days and 33 days, respectively.
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.
- The ongoing Texas heat wave has heat indices reaching upward of 120°F across parts of the Lone Star State, Axios' Andrew Freedman reports.
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.