Today's Mosquito Risk in North Carolina: 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
- Based on CDC ArboNET surveillance data
- Risk Tier
- Tier 3: Moderate
- Long humid summer extends Aedes albopictus biting from April through November in metros.
- Per mosquito-risk-model regional tier
- Highest-Risk Areas
- Mecklenburg, Wake, Guilford, Durham (WNV); Tyrrell, Hyde, Bertie (EEE Coastal Plain)
Current Situation in North Carolina
North Carolina carries a moderate to high mosquito burden of roughly 50 to 100 confirmed WNV cases annually, with risk distributed across the coastal swamps, the Piedmont metros, and the Smoky Mountain foothills. Aedes albopictus is the dominant biter statewide and drives the bulk of daytime complaints across Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, and Durham. Aedes aegypti shows sporadically in the southeastern coastal counties. EEE is documented in the freshwater swamps of the Coastal Plain, particularly in Bertie, Hertford, and Tyrrell counties. Cx. quinquefasciatus dominates Culex transmission in the southern half, with Cx. pipiens taking over in the northern Piedmont. Biting season runs May through October, with peak risk in August.
Snapshot of the current mosquito situation in North Carolina, drawn from CDC ArboNET surveillance and the regional risk model.
- Risk Level
- Moderate
- Peak Activity
- April through October
- Dominant Vector
- Asian Tiger Mosquito (Aedes albopictus)
Where Mosquitoes Breed in North Carolina
North Carolina mosquito habitat ranges from the Outer Banks salt marsh and Albemarle and Pamlico Sound estuaries to the Piedmont urban corridors and the Smoky Mountains foothills. Coastal Plain freshwater swamps, including the Great Dismal and the Pocosin Lakes NWR, produce Culiseta melanura, the EEE bridge vector. The Cape Fear River bottomlands through Wilmington and the Neuse River corridor sustain Aedes vexans. The Research Triangle metros (Raleigh, Durham, Chapel Hill) and Charlotte hold dense Aedes albopictus in suburban tire piles and catch basins. The Piedmont kudzu and storm-drain grid carries the urban Cx. pipiens and Cx. quinquefasciatus load.
Hotspot Counties & Areas
- Mecklenburg County (Charlotte metro, suburban albopictus)
- Wake County (Raleigh, Research Triangle)
- Guilford County (Greensboro, High Point)
- Durham County (Durham, Triangle)
- New Hanover County (Wilmington, Cape Fear estuary)
- Dare County (Outer Banks salt marsh)
- Tyrrell and Hyde counties (Pocosin Lakes EEE focus)
- Cumberland County (Fayetteville, Coastal Plain edge)
Seasonal Activity Pattern
Biting starts in late April in the Coastal Plain, peaks late July through August, and tapers through October with a long tail into early November in Wilmington and the southeastern coast. WNV cases concentrate in August across the Charlotte and Triangle metros. EEE risk in the Coastal Plain swamps peaks late August through October. Aedes albopictus daytime biting in suburban yards runs heavy from May through October. Heavy summer storms produce floodwater Aedes pulses along the Cape Fear and Neuse bottomlands. Outer Banks salt-marsh biting spikes around full-moon high tides.
Monthly Biting Intensity (Southeast)
North Carolina Mosquito Risk Profile
- WNV burden level
- Moderate
- about 50 to 100 confirmed cases annually
- EEE risk
- Documented in eastern coastal plain
- Peak biting season
- May through October
- Top urban risk areas
- Charlotte (Mecklenburg)
- Raleigh (Wake)
- Greensboro (Guilford)
- Durham (Durham)
Signature habitat: coastal swamp, Outer Banks salt marsh, Piedmont urban storm drains.
Climate driver: Long humid summer extends Aedes albopictus biting from April through November in metros.
Check Your Local Mosquito Risk
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Common Mosquitoes in North Carolina
Understanding which mosquitoes are active in North Carolina helps you identify threats and take appropriate precautions. Click any card for details.
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.
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.
Eastern Equine Encephalitis
Vector: Asian Tiger Mosquito
Eastern Equine Encephalitis
Rare but devastating, with roughly 30% case fatality. Concentrated in Northeast swamp areas and the Gulf Coast.
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 North Carolina
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.
Heading to a lake in North Carolina?
Live water temperatures and swim conditions for Lake Norman.
See North Carolina lake temperaturesWhen does mosquito season end in North Carolina?
Mosquito activity winds down after the first hard freeze, which in North Carolina typically arrives around Oct 28. See the local first-frost window and city-by-city freeze dates.
North Carolina first frost datesAlso worried about ticks in North Carolina?
Lyme disease risk and tick activity track different seasonal patterns than mosquitoes. See your North Carolina tick forecast.
View North Carolina tick forecastStay Safe in North Carolina
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