D.C.'s long mosquito season stings
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
D.C.'s mosquito season — already in full force — is getting a little longer.
Driving the news: The number of "mosquito days" — that is, those with the hot and humid weather the flying insects crave — has trended slightly upward in D.C. 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 an 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: D.C. had 174 mosquito days in 2022, compared to 172 in 1979 — an increase of just two days.
Yes, but: Sure, our increase is small but nearly half of the days in a year being hospitable to mosquitoes is inhospitable to us.
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.
Zoom in: 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.
Be smart: Everything from body odor to what you drink can affect how miserable mosquito season will be for you. Axios' Carly Mallenbaum debunked common misconceptions about mosquito bites — and shared what you can do to avoid them.