Today's Mosquito Risk in Hawaii: 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
- No established WNV cycle, but periodic dengue outbreaks (Big Island 2015 and 2016, Oahu 2019); Cx. quinquefasciatus carries avian malaria devastating native birds.
- Per mosquito-risk-model regional tier
- Highest-Risk Areas
- Honolulu (urban Oahu); Hawaii (Hilo dengue focus and Kona coast); Maui and Kauai (ongoing Aedes pressure)
Current Situation in Hawaii
Hawaii has no established West Nile transmission cycle, but mosquitoes still drive serious public health and conservation problems across the islands. Aedes aegypti is established year-round on Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and the Big Island, and Aedes albopictus is statewide. Local dengue outbreaks recur: a 2015-2016 cluster on the Big Island ran past 250 confirmed cases across Hilo and the Kona coast, and a 2019 outbreak on Oahu produced a smaller but sustained transmission chain. Cx. quinquefasciatus carries avian malaria that has helped push native honeycreepers toward extinction across the lowlands, with the disease climbing the slopes of Haleakala and Mauna Loa as the climate warms. Biting season is essentially year-round, with peaks in late summer and fall.
Snapshot of the current mosquito situation in Hawaii, 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
- Yellow Fever Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) statewide; Southern House Mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus) statewide
Where Mosquitoes Breed in Hawaii
Hawaii mosquito habitat is tropical and container-driven. Honolulu, Kailua, and Kaneohe on Oahu carry dense Aedes aegypti and Cx. quinquefasciatus populations off urban catch basins, ornamental plants, bromeliads, and abandoned tires. The Hilo side of the Big Island, soaked by trade-wind rainfall and dotted with old water tanks and lava-tube pools, sustains heavy Aedes populations and was the engine of the 2015-2016 dengue cluster. Hana Highway corridors on Maui, the windward valleys of Oahu, and the Hanalei Bay and North Shore wetlands of Kauai all hold steady mosquito loads. Lowland forests up the slopes of Mauna Kea, Mauna Loa, and Haleakala carry the Cx. quinquefasciatus that drives avian malaria into native bird refuges.
Hotspot Counties & Areas
- Honolulu County (Honolulu, Kailua, Kaneohe metros on Oahu)
- Hawaii County, Hilo side (windward Big Island, dengue 2015-2016 focus)
- Hawaii County, Kona coast (Kailua-Kona, South Kona)
- Maui County (Wailuku, Kahului, Hana Highway corridor)
- Kauai County (Hanalei Bay, North Shore wetlands, Lihue)
- Volcanoes National Park lowland forests
- Haleakala lower slopes (avian malaria front)
Seasonal Activity Pattern
Biting runs essentially year-round, with peaks across September through November as fall trade-wind rains charge container habitat. The Kona and South Kona coasts dry out in summer but flare in winter rains. Hilo and the windward sides hold steady moisture and biting pressure through the year. Dengue risk concentrates in late summer and fall when both rainfall and Aedes aegypti densities crest. Avian malaria transmission climbs into the upper slopes during the warm months, pushing native honeycreepers out of more lowland habitat each decade.
Monthly Biting Intensity (Non-Contiguous)
Hawaii Mosquito Risk Profile
- WNV burden level
- Minimal
- no established WNV transmission cycle
- EEE risk
- None
- Peak biting season
- year-round; peaks September through November
- Top urban risk areas
- Honolulu (Honolulu)
- Hilo (Hawaii)
- Kailua (Honolulu)
- Kaneohe (Honolulu)
Signature habitat: lowland tropical forest, taro fields, urban Honolulu catch basins, windward valleys.
Climate driver: No established WNV cycle, but periodic dengue outbreaks (Big Island 2015 and 2016, Oahu 2019); Cx. quinquefasciatus carries avian malaria devastating native birds.
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Common Mosquitoes in Hawaii
Understanding which mosquitoes are active in Hawaii 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 Hawaii
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.
Also worried about ticks in Hawaii?
Lyme disease risk and tick activity track different seasonal patterns than mosquitoes. See your Hawaii tick forecast.
View Hawaii tick forecastStay Safe in Hawaii
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