Today's Mosquito Risk in Alaska: Real-Time Forecast & Activity Map
Check your ZIP code for local mosquito activity, West Nile risk, and prevention insights.
Built from CDC and NOAA data
Mosquito Surveillance Insights
- Annual WNV Cases
- no established WNV transmission cycle
- Based on CDC ArboNET surveillance data
- Risk Tier
- Tier 5: Minimal
- Too cold for sustained arboviral transmission, but massive boreal Aedes and Ochlerotatus populations make summer outdoor recreation famously buggy.
- Per mosquito-risk-model regional tier
- Highest-Risk Areas
- Matanuska-Susitna and Fairbanks North Star (heaviest biting densities); Yukon-Koyukuk and North Slope (intense brief tundra hatches)
Current Situation in Alaska
Alaska runs the most unusual mosquito story in the country. The climate is too cold to sustain a West Nile transmission cycle and confirmed human WNV cases are essentially nil; arboviral disease is not the reason mosquitoes matter here. The reason is biting density. The Susitna Valley, the Mat-Su Valley, the Tanana Flats, and the taiga belt from the Yukon River through the Kuskokwim drainage produce some of the heaviest summer mosquito clouds on the continent. The "mosquito as state bird" line is not a joke to anglers, hikers, hunters, and pipeline crews working the Interior in June and July. Roughly 35 species are documented statewide, dominated by snow-pool Aedes that hatch in dense pulses off boreal meltwater. Biting season runs late May through August, compressed hard by the short subarctic summer.
Snapshot of the current mosquito situation in Alaska, drawn from CDC ArboNET surveillance and the regional risk model.
- Risk Level
- Minimal
- Peak Activity
- Year-round (HI) or June through August (AK)
- Dominant Vector
- Boreal snow-pool Aedes complex (Aedes communis, Aedes punctor, Aedes hexodontus, Aedes excrucians)
Where Mosquitoes Breed in Alaska
Alaska mosquito habitat is boreal and tundra meltwater on a continental scale. The Susitna and Matanuska valleys produce vast snow-pool Aedes hatches off black-spruce muskeg and beaver-pond complexes. The Tanana Flats and the broader Interior between the Alaska Range and the Brooks Range carry the heaviest biting densities, especially across the Yukon Flats and the lower Kuskokwim. The North Slope and Arctic National Wildlife Refuge produce intense but brief July tundra hatches off thaw ponds. Denali, Wrangell-St. Elias, the Kenai Peninsula lowlands, and the Tongass rainforest of Southeast all carry seasonal woodland populations. Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Wasilla deal with neighborhood biting off ditches and yard catchments.
Hotspot Counties & Areas
- Matanuska-Susitna Borough (Wasilla, Palmer, Susitna Valley)
- Fairbanks North Star Borough (Fairbanks, Tanana Flats)
- Yukon-Koyukuk region (Yukon River corridor and Yukon Flats NWR)
- Denali National Park and Preserve
- Kenai Peninsula Borough (lowland muskeg and river bottoms)
- North Slope Borough (Arctic NWR tundra ponds)
- Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Seasonal Activity Pattern
Biting starts in late May once snowmelt opens the first boreal pools, climbs sharply through June, peaks across the Interior in late June and July, and tapers through August. The Susitna, Mat-Su, and Tanana valleys carry the worst of it, with mid-summer densities that can drive caribou herds to ridgeline windbreaks. Brooks Range and North Slope tundra hatches lag two to three weeks behind, peaking in mid-July. Southeast and the Kenai run cooler and slightly lighter. First hard freeze in September shuts the season down across most of the state.
Monthly Biting Intensity (Non-Contiguous)
Alaska Mosquito Risk Profile
- WNV burden level
- Minimal
- no established WNV transmission cycle
- EEE risk
- None
- Peak biting season
- June through August
- Top urban risk areas
- Anchorage (Anchorage)
- Fairbanks (Fairbanks North Star)
- Juneau (Juneau)
Signature habitat: boreal forest snow-pool wetlands, Susitna Valley, Interior taiga, tundra meltwater.
Climate driver: Too cold for sustained arboviral transmission, but massive boreal Aedes and Ochlerotatus populations make summer outdoor recreation famously buggy.
Check Your Local Mosquito Risk
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Common Mosquitoes in Alaska
Understanding which mosquitoes are active in Alaska helps you identify threats and take appropriate precautions. Click any card for details.
Southern House Mosquito
Culex quinquefasciatus
Risk: West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, dog heartworm.
Key feature: Medium brown body with banded abdominal segments and no leg stripes.
Active: Year-round in the deep South; summer peak elsewhere. Most active from dusk through the first few hours after sunset.
Asian Tiger Mosquito
Aedes albopictus
Risk: Eastern Equine Encephalitis, dengue, chikungunya, Zika, dog heartworm.
Key feature: A single bright white stripe down the center of the back.
Active: Spring through first hard frost. Eggs overwinter in cold climates and hatch when flooded by spring rain.
West Nile Virus
Vector: Southern House Mosquito
West Nile Virus
The most common mosquito-borne illness in the US. About 80% of infections cause no symptoms; less than 1% develop neuroinvasive disease.
What to watch for
- Onset typically 2 to 15 days after a bite
- Most cases mild or asymptomatic, small fraction severe
- Neurological signs (severe headache, neck stiffness, confusion) need ER care
Breaking the Cycle in Alaska
The mosquito lifecycle takes about a week. These habits cut local biting pressure faster than anything else, building multiple layers of protection.
Drain the Yard Weekly
Empty buckets, planter saucers, kiddie pools, tarps, and clogged gutters. A week of standing water is one full mosquito generation.
Repel Before Going Out
EPA-registered DEET (20-30%), picaridin (20%), IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus. Apply before going outside, especially at dusk and dawn.
Seal the House
Window and door screens with no tears. AC and porch fans both work. Mosquitoes struggle to fly upwind even at 1-2 mph air speed.
Treat Outdoor Clothing
Permethrin-treated long sleeves and pants for evening yard work, hiking, or fishing. Remains effective through 70+ wash cycles.
If You Develop Symptoms
Most mosquito bites are harmless. A small fraction can transmit illness, and knowing the timeline matters more than panicking at every itch.Five things to know.
Watch for fever
Fever, body aches, headache, or fatigue 2 to 15 days after a bite. West Nile often feels like flu, and most infections never get diagnosed.
Note where and when
A rough record of where and when you got bitten helps your doctor decide what to test for. Date, location, mosquito-heavy areas you visited.
Get help fast for neuro signs
Severe headache, neck stiffness, confusion, vision changes, or sudden muscle weakness can mean neuroinvasive WNV or EEE. Both are medical emergencies.
Pregnant exposure?
If pregnant and bitten in an area with documented Zika or local dengue transmission, mention to your OB. Same goes for travel exposure.
Children and seniors
Higher risk of severe disease from WNV, EEE, and dengue in adults over 60 and children under 5. Early call to the pediatrician or PCP if symptoms appear.
When does mosquito season end in Alaska?
Mosquito activity winds down after the first hard freeze, which in Alaska typically arrives around Sep 5. See the local first-frost window and city-by-city freeze dates.
Alaska first frost datesAlso worried about ticks in Alaska?
Lyme disease risk and tick activity track different seasonal patterns than mosquitoes. See your Alaska tick forecast.
View Alaska tick forecastStay Safe in Alaska
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