Today's Mosquito Risk in Mississippi: 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
- about 50 to 100 confirmed cases annually
- very high per-capita
- Based on CDC ArboNET surveillance data
- Risk Tier
- Tier 1: Peak Pressure
- Gulf Coast mosquitoes bite every month of the year; Delta floods produce massive Aedes vexans hatches.
- Per mosquito-risk-model regional tier
- Highest-Risk Areas
- Hinds, Harrison, Hancock, Jackson (WNV and year-round Aedes aegypti); Washington and Bolivar (Delta); Pearl River swamp counties (EEE)
Current Situation in Mississippi
Mississippi sits in the heart of the country's most mosquito-pressured region, with the Mississippi Delta in the northwest and the Gulf Coast in the south driving a year-round biting profile that few states match. WNV burden runs roughly 50 to 100 confirmed human cases annually with very high per-capita rates, and Aedes aegypti is established statewide with year-round biting on the Coast through Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties. Aedes albopictus is statewide, and Cx. quinquefasciatus dominates Culex transmission across the Deep South humidity. EEE is documented in the Pearl River swamp counties. Hurricane-driven flooding produces explosive Aedes vexans and Psorophora hatches that overwhelm spray operations. Biting season runs March through November, with year-round activity in the southern coastal counties.
Snapshot of the current mosquito situation in Mississippi, drawn from CDC ArboNET surveillance and the regional risk model.
- Risk Level
- High
- Peak Activity
- March through November
- Dominant Vector
- Southern House Mosquito (Culex quinquefasciatus); Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus) statewide
Where Mosquitoes Breed in Mississippi
Mississippi mosquito habitat is built on the Mississippi Delta alluvial plain in the northwest, the Pearl River and Pascagoula River bottomlands feeding south, and the Gulf Coast salt marsh and cypress swamps. The Delta around Greenville and the Yazoo River basin produces enormous Aedes vexans and Psorophora populations after each flood pulse. Pearl River swamps in central and southern Mississippi sustain Culiseta melanura tied to EEE bridge cycling. Gulf Coast salt marsh from Bay St. Louis through Biloxi and Pascagoula produces Aedes sollicitans and Aedes taeniorhynchus. The Pine Belt around Hattiesburg holds steady forested-wetland Aedes hatches. Storm drains and tire piles across Jackson, Gulfport, Biloxi, and Vicksburg carry the urban Aedes albopictus and Cx. quinquefasciatus load.
Hotspot Counties & Areas
- Hinds County (Jackson metro)
- Harrison County (Gulfport, Biloxi, year-round Aedes aegypti)
- Hancock County (Bay St. Louis, Gulf Coast)
- Jackson County (Pascagoula, salt marsh)
- Forrest County (Hattiesburg, Pine Belt)
- Washington County (Greenville, Mississippi Delta)
- Warren County (Vicksburg, Mississippi River bluffs)
- Pearl River swamp counties (EEE focus area)
Seasonal Activity Pattern
Biting starts in early March on the Gulf Coast and the Delta, peaks late July through September, and tapers through November. Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties on the Coast see year-round Aedes aegypti biting in mild winters. WNV cases concentrate in August across Jackson, the Delta, and the Coast. EEE risk in Pearl River swamp counties peaks late August through October. Hurricane-driven flooding from June through November triggers massive Psorophora columbiae and Aedes vexans surges that punish the Coast and Pine Belt within a week of landfall. Salt-marsh biting on the Coast spikes around full-moon high tides.
Monthly Biting Intensity (Gulf South)
Mississippi Mosquito Risk Profile
- WNV burden level
- High
- about 50 to 100 confirmed cases annually; very high per-capita
- EEE risk
- Documented in Delta and Gulf swamps
- Peak biting season
- April through October; year-round biting on Coast
- Top urban risk areas
- Jackson (Hinds)
- Gulfport (Harrison)
- Southaven (DeSoto)
- Biloxi (Harrison)
Signature habitat: Mississippi Delta, Gulf Coast cypress swamps, Pearl River bottomlands.
Climate driver: Gulf Coast mosquitoes bite every month of the year; Delta floods produce massive Aedes vexans hatches.
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Common Mosquitoes in Mississippi
Understanding which mosquitoes are active in Mississippi helps you identify threats and take appropriate precautions. Click any card for details.
Yellow Fever Mosquito
Aedes aegypti
Risk: Zika, dengue, yellow fever, chikungunya.
Key feature: Black body with white lyre-shaped markings on the thorax.
Active: Year-round in southern Florida and the Gulf; summer-only further north.
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.
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.
Zika Virus
Vector: Yellow Fever Mosquito
Zika Virus
Linked to severe birth defects when contracted during pregnancy. About 80% of adult infections cause no symptoms.
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 Mississippi
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 Mississippi?
Mosquito activity winds down after the first hard freeze, which in Mississippi typically arrives around Nov 10. See the local first-frost window and city-by-city freeze dates.
Mississippi first frost datesAlso worried about ticks in Mississippi?
Lyme disease risk and tick activity track different seasonal patterns than mosquitoes. See your Mississippi tick forecast.
View Mississippi tick forecastStay Safe in Mississippi
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