A Longer Mosquito Season This Fall Thanks to Climate Change

The worst time for mosquitos is usually late August and early September. But the longer it stays warm in the Fall, the longer mosquitos hang around. They aren’t usually killed off until the first frost, which comes later now in West Virginia as our climate is changing.

We all know that mosquito bites cause annoying localized itching and swelling. When a mosquito bites, it secretes saliva into your bloodstream. Your body reacts to that saliva as an allergen and sends the chemical histamine to the bite area to remove the allergen from your body. Histamine is what causes your mosquito bites to itch and swell.

There is more to worry about from mosquitos than annoying bites. Vector-borne viral diseases transmitted by blood feeding insects like mosquitos and ticks are among the fastest growing diseases in the world. Climate change and rising temperatures are fueling this.

Higher temperatures mean whatever virus is carried by the mosquito multiplies faster and in higher numbers. So, climate change is making mosquitos more infectious, not just more annoying.

One mosquito-borne disease is West Nile virus. There have been more than 375 cases of West Nile reported around the country this year. West Virginia reported its first case of West Nile in 2023 in Hardy County. Those hit hardest are the very young and elderly, as well as people with compromised immune systems. About 1,200 are sickened with West Nile in the U.S. each year and 100 people die from complications of the virus.

Reversing climate change is a long-term project. In the short run, protect yourself from disease-causing mosquitos by avoiding the outdoors during dawn and dusk. You can also reduce the prevalence of mosquitos by draining standing water where they breed and installing screens on your windows and doors. Stay healthy this Fall!