San Antonio recently made Orkin's list of U.S. cities with the worst mosquitoes.

San Antonio recently made Orkin's list of U.S. cities with the worst mosquitoes.

The pest control company released its annual ranking of the "Top 50 Mosquito Cities in the United States" on April 27. San Antonio is ranked 47th, down 6 places from the 2019 ranking.

Orkin compiled this list using the number of mosquito customers it served in major metropolitan areas from April 1, 2019 to March 31, 2020. The list includes residential and commercial treatments. Orkin has two branches in San Antonio.

This year, Atlanta topped the list for the seventh consecutive year. In this list, only three other Texas cities made the list: Dallas-Fort Worth ranked sixth, Houston ranked 12th, and Austin ranked 38th. To view the complete list, click here.

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Molly Keck, an entomologist at A&M AgriLife Extension Service Bexar County in Texas, told mySA.com that it is important to know that Orkin’s list only shows which city uses its service more within a certain time frame. However, she did notice that San Antonio "definitely" has mosquitoes throughout the year, and residents should be aware of West Nile virus. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 34 West Nile cases and 4 deaths in Texas in 2019.

"Every year, we (Texas) always have West Nile virus cases," she said. "If you can, try to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes. If you are in more areas than usual, use insect repellent. This is always important."

In order to prevent exposure to the virus, Keck recommends that everyone try to reduce the amount of water inside and outside the house. She also recommends calling the pest control service to help limit the number of mosquitoes in the home.

Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre 

Priscilla Aguirre is a general assignment reporter for MySA.com | priscilla.aguirre@express-news.net | @CillaAguirre.