L.A. was just ranked the worst city in the US for mosquito-related issues

Congratulations, Los Angeles: you are officially America’s mosquito capital. Again.

According to Orkin’s newly released 2026 Mosquito Cities List, L.A. has once again been ranked the No. 1 worst city in the United States for mosquito-related issues, beating out Chicago, New York and a long list of humid summer rivals that traditionally dominate this sort of thing.

Los Angeles has now held the top spot every year since 2021, marking a major shift in where mosquito activity is exploding across the country. Before that, Atlanta dominated the rankings for six straight years. The rankings are based on the number of new residential mosquito treatments performed by Orkin between March 18, 2025 and March 18, 2026.

Experts say the bigger story isn’t just that mosquitoes are annoying—it’s that they’re spreading into more regions and bringing greater health concerns with them. “Over the past decade, we’ve seen mosquito activity expand beyond traditional hotspots and become a nationwide concern,” Orkin entomologist Shannon Sked said in the report.

Mosquitoes remain the deadliest animals in the world, responsible for hundreds of thousands of malaria-related deaths globally each year, according to the CDC information cited in the report. In the U.S., they can also spread diseases including West Nile virus, Zika and Eastern Equine Encephalitis. Orkin also warned that illnesses once considered relatively uncommon in the U.S. (such as dengue fever) are becoming more prevalent.

Part of the concern centers around the growing spread of the yellow fever mosquito, also known as Aedes aegypti, a species increasingly thriving in urban areas and warmer climates.

As for what Angelenos can actually do besides aggressively slap their own ankles all summer long? Orkin recommends eliminating standing water, trimming vegetation, wearing long sleeves and using CDC-approved repellents.

This year’s top 10 cities were:

1. Los Angeles
2. Chicago
3. New York
4. Detroit
5. Atlanta
6. Washington, D.C.
7. Houston
8. Dallas
9. Cleveland
10. Denver