Houston – Will we have more mosquitoes this year compared to last year? Because if you lived in Houston, you know last year was BUGGY!
Mosquito Season
Mosquito season starts in March and lasts until October, peaking during April for the mating season. In April, the warmer weather speeds up the mosquito life cycle compared to summer. Eggs hatch faster in warmer spring weather, not the scorching hot summer weather. The humidity protects the mosquito eggs and helps adult mosquitoes stay more hydrated to optimize flying.
Get ready for more mosquitoes by the end of the week.
For the most part, this past week was dry and warm, but by the end of the week, we’ll start tracking mosquito weather. We’re tracking the chance for Easter storms, a weak front on Tuesday, and the return of Gulf moisture, which increases our chance for rain and is the perfect April breeding grounds for mosquito season.
2024 Mosquito Season
So while we are just getting into mosquito season for 2025, it’s always good to know how many mosquitoes we had last year. And that starts by understanding our weather patterns. In 2024, we had heavy rainfall and mild temperatures into late 2024, which kept the mosquitoes around even longer than usual.
Harris County Health Officials reported a significant increase in mosquito numbers in 2024 compared to 2023:
- April 2024: Captured 72,741 female mosquitoes
- April 2023: Captured 34,389 female mosquitoes
So last year was a very wet year for Houston, and as a result, we had a lot more mosquitoes compared to 2023.
The Honest Answer
Since we’re just starting mosquito season this year, it’s hard to say if we will have more or fewer for certain, but there are some things to look for. If our weather patterns stay warm and wet, we can have similar or potentially even higher numbers; however, if we see a spike in temperatures this summer, we might get a lower number.