Study reports there are fewer ‘mosquito days’ in San Antonio than in past years

If you thought the Texas heat dome was bad, mosquitos may have found it worse.

A new study from the nonprofit group Climate Central details that mosquitos thrive in climates with humidity at or above 42 percent, when temperatures fall between 50 and 95 degrees. The more days that fall within that range per year, the more “mosquito days” there are in that location.

Although a majority of the 242 locations analyzed by the group have experienced an increase in these “mosquito days” since 1979, San Antonio has had a marked decrease.

In a report on the study, Axios explains this may be due to temperatures being too hot for mosquitos, as temperatures above 95 degrees are less hospitable to the insects. In addition to very high temperatures, rainfall and drought may play a role in this phenomenon, as mosquitos require standing water to reproduce.

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This article appears in Jun 28 – Jul 11, 2023.