Does It Feel Like Mosquitoes Are Getting Worse?

Summary

Short Wave Podcast Summary: "Does It Feel Like Mosquitoes Are Getting Worse?"

Introduction

In the June 24, 2025 episode of NPR’s Short Wave, hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber delve into a pressing local concern: the resurgence of mosquitoes in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Triggered by a listener's personal experience, the episode explores the multifaceted reasons behind the increase in mosquito populations and offers expert insights on managing this growing nuisance.

Listener's Concern: Abby Krish Star’s Mosquito Battle

The episode begins with Abby Krish Star’s account of her struggle with mosquitoes. Growing up in the suburbs of Boston, Abby experienced severe mosquito problems every summer, leading her to move closer to the city where she enjoyed a mosquito-free environment for a time. However, in the past five years, mosquitoes have made a strong comeback in her backyard, disrupting her outdoor activities.

"Each year in recent years has become harder and harder. Like last year, we couldn't even be out there."
— Abby Krish Star [00:59]

Abby’s frustration sets the stage for the episode’s exploration of why this resurgence is occurring.

Expert Insights: The Role of Climate Change

Producer Hannah Chin introduces the topic by highlighting the public health implications of increased mosquito populations. She brings in Dr. Doug Bidlak, an entomologist from the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project, who confirms the rise in mosquito numbers.

"Our numbers have continued to go up since I've been here overall, and I'm talking about total mosquito populations have been going up."
— Dr. Doug Bidlak [04:32]

Dr. Bidlak attributes this increase to shifts in local weather patterns linked to climate change, such as warmer temperatures and more unpredictable rainfall. These conditions favor certain mosquito species over others, leading to an overall rise in populations.

Climate Change and Mosquito Proliferation

Hannah Chin explains that climate change has a complex impact on mosquitoes, affecting their breeding cycles, geographical distribution, and disease transmission capabilities.

"If you have an overall average trend of certain places getting closer to the ideal conditions where, on average, a mosquito would thrive, locations where we already have the mosquito present, if those conditions expand temporally, you would have them there for a longer period of time."
— Rebecca De Jesus Crespo, Ecologist at LSU [06:25]

The discussion highlights that while specific mosquito populations may vary, the general trend across the United States points toward longer mosquito seasons and potentially larger populations due to extended breeding periods.

Mosquito Biology and Disease Transmission

Julian Hillier, an entomologist from Vanderbilt University, provides an in-depth look at mosquito behavior and their role in disease transmission. He emphasizes that mosquitoes bite not out of malice but as a means to acquire nutrients necessary for egg production.

"The goal of drinking blood, which, by the way, only females do, is to get the nutrients they need to make eggs so that they can pass on the genetic material to the next generation."
— Julian Hillier [07:21]

Hillier also discusses how warmer temperatures accelerate mosquitoes' metabolism, leading to faster life cycles but shorter lifespans. This accelerated life cycle can increase the rate at which mosquitoes transmit pathogens.

"So in a mosquito, when it's warmer, the metabolism is much higher. Everything's growing faster when it's hotter."
— Julian Hillier [08:27]

Implications for Public Health

The episode underscores the public health risks associated with increased mosquito populations. Dr. Bidlak and other experts explain how mosquitoes serve as vectors for diseases such as West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis, with climate change potentially altering the dynamics of disease spread.

"When you have warmer temperatures, mosquitoes generally have shorter lifespans."
— Julian Hillier [08:37]

This combination of higher mosquito activity and changing pathogen dynamics poses significant challenges for public health officials and communities alike.

Prevention and Management Strategies

Emily Kwong and Hannah Chin transition the discussion to practical measures listeners can take to mitigate mosquito problems. Dr. Bidlak advises checking for and eliminating standing water in backyards, as mosquito larvae thrive in such environments.

"Really anything that collects even a little tiny bit of water. Because mosquitoes tend to stay pretty localized after hatching."
— Dr. Doug Bidlak [11:36]

Public health director Vivian Tseng recommends monitoring local mosquito surveillance dashboards to stay informed about risk levels and adjust outdoor activities accordingly.

For personal protection, experts suggest:

• Wearing Protective Clothing: Long sleeves and pants can reduce skin exposure.
• Using Repellents: EPA-registered DEET repellents are deemed most effective, though alternatives are available for those sensitive to DEET.
• Applying Permethrin Spray: Treating clothing with permethrin can provide additional protection, especially during activities like camping.

"If folks are working or playing outside or maybe planning a camping trip, basically if they have to be outside, they can try to cover up with long sleeve and pants and get a good repellent."
— Vivian Tseng [13:02]

Conclusion

The episode concludes by emphasizing the importance of continued scientific research and surveillance to understand and combat the evolving challenges posed by mosquito populations. Hosts Emily Kwong and Regina Barber reinforce the need for community action and awareness in managing mosquito-related issues.

"It's a complicated question that is changing a lot, which is why doing science and continued observation and surveillance of these mosquitoes is really important."
— Hannah Chin [09:31]

Final Thoughts

"Does It Feel Like Mosquitoes Are Getting Worse?" offers a comprehensive examination of the factors contributing to rising mosquito populations in Massachusetts, with broader implications for other regions. By intertwining personal anecdotes with expert analyses, the episode provides listeners with both understanding and actionable strategies to address this growing environmental and public health concern.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Abby Krish Star [00:59]: "And then I don't know when it was, maybe about five years ago, I started to notice that suddenly there were mosquitoes again just being in our backyard."
• Dr. Doug Bidlak [04:32]: "Our numbers have continued to go up since I've been here overall, and I'm talking about total mosquito populations have been going up."
• Rebecca De Jesus Crespo [06:25]: "If you have an overall average trend of certain places getting closer to the ideal conditions where, on average, a mosquito would thrive..."
• Julian Hillier [07:21]: "The goal of drinking blood... is to get the nutrients they need to make eggs..."
• Julian Hillier [08:37]: "When you have warmer temperatures, mosquitoes generally have shorter lifespans."
• Dr. Doug Bidlak [11:36]: "Because mosquitoes tend to stay pretty localized after hatching."
• Vivian Tseng [13:02]: "They can try to cover up with long sleeve and pants and get a good repellent."
• Hannah Chin [09:31]: "Doing science and continued observation and surveillance of these mosquitoes is really important."

---

This summary is based on the June 24, 2025 episode of NPR’s Short Wave, titled "Does It Feel Like Mosquitoes Are Getting Worse?" For more information and to support the show, visit plus.npr.org/shortwave.

Transcript

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[Emily Kwong]

You're listening to Short Wave from npr. Hi, everyone. Emily Kwong here. And this month's Nature Quest starts with one of our listeners, Abby Krish Star, who lives in Massachusetts.

[Abby Krish Star]

I grew up in the suburbs of Boston and mosquitoes were terrible. Every summer, you know, I got tons of bites. I would swell up. I was so itchy. And then in my 20s, I moved closer to the city and I realized that there were no mosquitoes. I could leave my door open or windows without screens and, like, bugs didn't come in.

[Emily Kwong]

And for this brief period of time, life was divinely, blissfully, mosquito free.

[Abby Krish Star]

And then I don't know when it was, maybe about five years ago, I started to notice that suddenly there were mosquitoes again just being in our backyard. Each year in recent years has become harder and harder. Like last year, we couldn't even be out there.

[Emily Kwong]

Now she is locked in a battle with the mosquitoes of Cambridge. Her ping pong games with her husband outdoors are still getting cut short because.

[Abby Krish Star]

We were just getting eaten alive.

[Emily Kwong]

So Abby wants us to figure out what is happening.

[Abby Krish Star]

Like, why is it that 15 years ago in Cambridge somervill until there were no mosquitoes and now, like, they're everywhere? What changed?

[Emily Kwong]

I hate mosquitoes, but they are more than just a nuisance. They are a public health problem. So I brought on producer Hannah Chin to talk about it.

[Hannah Chin]

Hey, Emily. Yeah. The CDC considers mosquitoes the most deadly animal in the world, in part because they're a vector for a whole host of diseases. There's malaria and dengue globally, West Nile viru and eastern equine encephalitis in the US It's a lot. And what surprised me most, Emily, is that the same thing that's affecting mosquito populations in Cambridge and creating this spike that Abby noticed, it's also changing how diseases incubate and spread, which could really shift the landscape of scientific research.

[Emily Kwong]

Today on the show, we get to the bottom of this Massachusetts mosquito mystery.

[Hannah Chin]

We're covering why mosquitoes bite, how climate change impacts them, and what experts recommend we do to keep the blood at bay.

[Emily Kwong]

You are listening to Short Wave from npr.

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[Emily Kwong]

All right, short wavers. We are on a nature quest, our monthly segment that brings you a question from a fellow short waiver who is paying attention to the environment around them and the ways it's changing. And this month, Hannah and I are investigating why our dear listener Abby is seeing more mosquitoes and what she and her neighbors can do about it. But let's talk about mosquitoes first, Hannah.

[Hannah Chin]

Yeah, so I started by calling some local experts in Eastern Massachusetts and I asked them, have they noticed more mosquitoes?

[Doug Bidlak]

Oh, absolutely. Yeah.

[Hannah Chin]

So this is Doug Bidlak. He's an entomologist for the East Middlesex Mosquito Control Project. He's been working with them for the past 20.

[Doug Bidlak]

Our numbers have continued to go up since I've been here overall, and I'm talking about total mosquito populations have been going up.

[Emily Kwong]

So Abby, you are not imagining it. This is real. Did Doug tell you why, Hannah?

[Hannah Chin]

Yeah, he says it's really tied to several different shifts in local weather and all of them are linked to climate change.

[Emily Kwong]

Okay, so how is climate change affecting mosquitoes everywhere?

[Hannah Chin]

So it's kind of hard to generalize because there are like 3500 different species of mosquitoes.

[Emily Kwong]

Oh no. That's a nightmare.

[Hannah Chin]

Yeah. In the Massachusetts area alone, there are over 50 different species of mosquito and not all of them are thriving. For example, Doug told me that Aedes albopictus, commonly known as the Asian tiger mosquito, it's a non native species they first started noticing in the area in 2017. Those mosquitoes do really well in hotter temperatures and so they've been thriving, but other species are declining, maybe because they don't do so well in those conditions.

[Doug Bidlak]

It's been warmer, it's been getting wetter, but it's also become more volatile, more unpredictable. So we have One year where it's very wet and hot, and one year where it's very dry and hot. So some species are. There's winners and losers because of that.

[Emily Kwong]

Overall, though, are there more mosquitoes in Massachusetts?

[Hannah Chin]

Yes, that's what Doug said. And climate change isn't just affecting mosquitoes there. Last year, the Washington Post published a data analysis showing that in many parts of the US Mosquito season is multiple days or even weeks longer than it used to be. So, again, like those hotter temperatures, increased rainfall, more volatile extremes.

[Emily Kwong]

So the weather conditions that are good for mosquito life is getting longer in much of the United States. Does that mean that there are also more mosquitoes around the US Too?

[Hannah Chin]

We don't know. That's because mosquito surveillance programs really vary across the country, so there aren't any exact numbers. But I talked to Rebecca De Jesus Crespo. She's an ecologist at Louisiana State University who specializes in mosquitoes. And she told me that these weather patterns are a pretty good indicator that overall, across species, mosquitoes could be thriving in these spots.

[Rebecca De Jesus Crespo]

If you have an overall average trend of certain places getting closer to the ideal conditions where, on average, a mosquito would thrive, locations where we already have the mosquito present, if those conditions expand temporally, you would have them there for a longer period of time.

[Emily Kwong]

Yeah, I mean, that makes sense. More time to breed and make more of themselves.

[Hannah Chin]

Exactly. And more time for them to spread diseases, which, by the way, is not the only thing that they do.

[Julian Hillier]

So a lot of people think that mosquitoes are here on this planet just to bother us and bite us and annoy us, but that's not their goal.

[Hannah Chin]

This is Julian Hillier. He's an entomologist at Vanderbilt University, and he says the goal of mosquitoes is the same as pretty much any other animal. Right. They need to pass their genetic material on, which means that the female mosquito needs to lay eggs.

[Julian Hillier]

To make eggs requires a lot of nutrients. So the goal of drinking blood, which, by the way, only females do, is to get the nutrients they need to make eggs so that they can pass on the genetic material to the next generation.

[Hannah Chin]

But I will say, Emily, all those nutrients, they come with risks, like bloodborne pathogens.

[Julian Hillier]

When you take that blood meal, a female takes that blood meal, she'll drink anything that's in the blood. So if a person is infected with something, she will drink that pathogen as well, so that when she takes another blood meal later on, that pathogen can be transmitted to another animal.

[Hannah Chin]

And Julian says those pathogens are also affected by climate change because increased temperature Changes how microbes might incubate in mosquitoes bodies.

[Emily Kwong]

Wait, tell me more about that.

[Hannah Chin]

Okay, so humans are homeotherms, meaning no matter what the outside temperature is, our internal temperature remains constant.

[Julian Hillier]

Now, mosquitoes don't do that. They're poikilotherms, which means that they allow their temperature to fluctuate with the temperature of their environment.

[Emily Kwong]

Whoa.

[Julian Hillier]

So in a mosquito, when it's warmer, the metabolism is much higher. Everything's growing faster when it's hotter. And the idea is that they're also aging faster for that reason. When you have warmer temperatures, mosquitoes generally have shorter lifespans.

[Hannah Chin]

So, Emily, when it's hot outside, it speeds up all of these processes in the mosquito life cycle. So biting or laying eggs or fighting disease, spreading infections.

[Emily Kwong]

So they could be out here living fast, dying young, but be more deadly on their way out.

[Hannah Chin]

Yes. And then there's a lot of other things to consider, like the individual species or the particular pathogen or local environment. It's all very, very complicated. And not to throw one more wrench into it, but on a global scale, climate change is also causing mosquitoes natural habitats to shift, which will also affect the pathogens that they spread.

[Julian Hillier]

So the other thing that is going to be happening now is that you're going to have a geographical shift of what pathogens are where.

[Emily Kwong]

Okay. So it's impossible to say really. It depends on where you are, how the local mosquitoes in your area are doing under your local specific conditions, and how it intersects with their lifestyle and their natural habitat. It's a very complicated question of like, why so many mosquitoes where I live.

[Hannah Chin]

Exactly. And it's a complicated question that is changing a lot, which is why doing science and continued observation and surveillance of these mosquitoes is really important. And both Julian and Rebecca told me there are so many things that affect mosquitoes and their ability to transmit disease beyond just the climate, the weather, there's the presence of humans or animals and the urban heat island effect and whether the mosquitoes are drinking enough water, like.

[Emily Kwong]

Whether they're hydrated or not.

[Hannah Chin]

Yeah, Rebecca told me that matters too.

[Rebecca De Jesus Crespo]

If you are in a condition where it's becoming less humid and the mosquito feels dehydrated and there are not many water sources, it might bite humans more often, kind of to quench their thirst.

[Emily Kwong]

So they're drinking our blood also just because they're thirsty and there isn't enough water for them?

[Hannah Chin]

Yeah, basically, like if they're thirsty, they're going to be more aggressive biters and you're more likely to attract those mosquitoes when it's hot out too.

[Rebecca De Jesus Crespo]

Like if your body is emitting heat, CO2, it's sweating, it's emitting all those metabolites. Mosquitoes use chemical cues and cues regarding to the body heat to find a human to bite. Like if you're outside and it's hot, it leaves mosquitoes to find you.

[Emily Kwong]

What a stupendous summertime feedback loop we have found ourselves in. All right, so thank you for this incredibly thorough answer as to why so many mosquitoes. What does that mean, though, about living among them. How do we prevent mosquitoes from biting listeners like Abby?

[Hannah Chin]

So I did ask our local experts what they recommend. And Doug said one of the things he'd tell Abby to do is check.

[Doug Bidlak]

Her backyard, especially for like an Asian tiger mosquito or for the species that spread West Nile virus, which are Culex mosquitoes. The larvae live in containers. It could be your gutters, for example, it could be a bird bath, it could be toys in your yard, that kind of thing.

[Hannah Chin]

Really anything that collects even a little tiny bit of water. Because mosquitoes tend to stay pretty localized after hatching.

[Doug Bidlak]

And a lot of those species don't fly very far. I mean, you might be getting your next door neighbors, but you can cut down a lot on your own just from your own little property.

[Hannah Chin]

And the other thing that Abby and the rest of our listeners can do is keep an eye on local mosquito surveillance. Doug's team is regularly capturing and testing mosquitoes for the pathogens that cause West Nile virus and eastern equine encephalitis. And the Massachusetts Department of Health has an online dashboard they update regularly. It shows risk levels for every area in the whole state. We'll link to it in the show notes. Vivian Tseng is the director of public health in Sudbury, just west of where Abby lives. And she says risk levels like those can help residents decide when to go out or when to stay in.

[Advertiser]

The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many mosquitoes. So as risk is increasing, consider rescheduling outdoor activities that occur during the evening or early morning.

[Emily Kwong]

Yeah, tough, because Abby, like I said, she and her husband love to play ping pong out on their patio at night. What should she do about that?

[Hannah Chin]

So Vivian says that if folks are working or playing outside or maybe planning a camping trip, basically if they have to be outside, they can try to cover up with long sleeve and pants and get a good repellent.

[Advertiser]

I'm a huge fan of EPA registered deet repellents. I think that those are the most effective and you definitely should check the product label to be sure on if you're using it correctly.

[Emily Kwong]

Important to say, though, not everyone loves deet. You should check for the safety of the product, particularly for infants, and there are other alternatives, but deet, I guess she's saying, is what's most effective.

[Hannah Chin]

Yeah. Vivian also recommended permethrin spray, which you can spray on your clothes to repel insects. It'll last a certain number of washes and she says that's good for things like camping.

[Emily Kwong]

Awesome. Hannah Chin, thank you so much for tackling this question.

[Hannah Chin]

Anytime Emily. Thanks for having me.

[Emily Kwong]

Shortwavers we are going to have Nature Quest on every last Tuesday of the month. So if you are observing something in your local environment and you want us to investigate with all the science might that we bring, email us your [e-mail] this episode was produced by Hannah Chin and Rachel Carlson. It was edited by Rebecca Ramirez and fact checked by Tyler Jones. Jimmy Keeley was the audio engineer. Special thanks also to Sam Poulson for writing the Nature Quest theme music. Beth Donovan is our Senior Director and Colin Campbell is our Senior Vice President of Podcasting Strategy. I'm Emily Kwong.

[Hannah Chin]

And I'm Hannah Chin.

[Emily Kwong]

Bite that follow button like a mosquito for us. Thank you so much. Talk to you later.

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