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25 U.S. Cities That’ll Have the Worst Mosquito Problems This Summer

Don’t want to bug out this summer? From Los Angeles to Houston and even Detroit, these are the cities to avoid this summer if you absolutely hate getting bitten by mosquitoes.
ByRudie Obias|
These bugs are more likely to take over your summer vacation if you're in these cities.
These bugs are more likely to take over your summer vacation if you're in these cities. | Westend61, Getty Images

It’s summer, which means the days are longer, the sun is brighter, and the weather is much warmer, so you can enjoy more time outdoors with friends and family.

But with warmer weather comes more mosquitoes zipping around your backyard. Nothing ruins a picnic, barbecue, or gathering around a fire pit like bugs feasting on you and your guest, but some parts of the United States actually have a bigger mosquito problem than others.

To get a better sense of which cities these bugs are swarming around the most in 2025, the pest experts at Orkin put together a list of the top cities in the U.S. with the biggest mosquito problem.

According to their findings, Los Angeles has the most mosquitoes, followed by Chicago and New York City, which rank second and third, respectively. Meanwhile, Midwestern cities like Detroit and Cleveland round out the top 10, with two Lone Star State destinations—Houston and Dallas—also making the cut.

Why is the problem so much more significant in these cities than in others? One major factor is that they all experience higher temperatures during the summer months and are located near large bodies of standing water, including canals, man-made rivers, reservoirs, concrete channels, creeks, and lakes. Mosquitoes lay eggs in standing water, which could strongly contribute to the uptick in bug bites around these areas as temperatures spike.

  1. Which U.S. Cities Will Have the Most Mosquitoes This Summer?
  2. How To Manage Mosquitoes in Your Backyard

Which U.S. Cities Will Have the Most Mosquitoes This Summer?

Nobody likes getting eaten alive by mosquitoes on a hot summer night, but some urban destinations are poised to have it worse than others. Check out this list of the top 25 cities expected to have the most mosquitoes during summer 2025, according to Orkin:

  1. Los Angeles, California
  2. Chicago, Illinois
  3. New York, New York
  4. Atlanta, Georgia
  5. Detroit, Michigan
  6. Houston, Texas
  7. Dallas, Texas
  8. Washington, D.C.
  9. Cleveland, Ohio
  10. Denver, Colorado
  11. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  12. Miami, Florida
  13. Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
  14. Charlotte, North Carolina
  15. San Francisco, California
  16. Indianapolis, Indiana
  17. Orlando, Florida
  18. Tampa-St. Petersburg, Florida
  19. Minneapolis, Minnesota
  20. Baltimore, Maryland
  21. Nashville, Tennessee
  22. Greenville, South Carolina
  23. Columbus, Ohio
  24. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  25. Grand Rapids, Michigan

How To Manage Mosquitoes in Your Backyard

Although mosquitoes can be an annoyance during an otherwise pleasant day at a picnic or cookout, they can also pose some serious health risks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that mosquitoes lead to more deaths annually than any other creature in the world. More than half a million people die every year due to mosquito-transmitted diseases, such as malaria, West Nile virus, dengue, yellow fever, Zika, and other ailments.

If you want to prevent mosquito attacks, there are a few key ways you can protect yourself and your loved ones. The CDC recommends wearing loose-fitting clothing that covers your legs and arms. While that might seem unrealistic during warm weather, it can also keep bugs from nibbling on you. Using an effective insect repellent on exposed skin can also be essential.

In your yard, consider placing netting and screen doors around your porch and entryways to prevent mosquitoes from flying around you. Alternatively, use natural repellents, such as coffee grounds, citronella candles, and others.

If you have any standing water around the yard, including inside buckets, swimming pools, or even puddles, then you should empty these containers and clean them out. These pools of water are natural breeding grounds for mosquitoes, so eliminating them could go a long way toward keeping “skeeters” at bay in and around your home. Additionally, maintaining a well-trimmed and groomed yard is another way to effectively prevent mosquitoes, as they tend to thrive in tall grass and bushy hedges.

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