Got bites? Raleigh ranks No. 15 for mosquitoes

Orkin released its list of the Top 50 cites with the most mosquitoes in the United States, and the Triangle tops the list.

The Atlanta-based pest control company, which serves customers nationwide, ranked metro areas by the number of new mosquito customers served from April 1, 2017 to March 31, 2018. Raleigh-Durham is No. 15 on the list.

According to Orkin, mosquito season starts as soon as it gets warm, and the pests are most active in temperatures above 80 degrees.

Breeding season is usually July through September, and cases of West Nile virus are higher in August, September and even October.

Ahead of the Triangle, Atlanta takes the No. 1 spot, followed by Dallas, New York, D.C., Chicago, St. Louis, Houston, Miami and Kansas City.

Charlotte is ranked higher than the Triangle at No. 10.

According to the CDC, vector-borne diseases like Zika virus and West Nile virus have tripled since 2004. It's important to protect yourself from bug bites by wearing loose-fitting long pants and shirts, boots in heavily wooded areas. Orkin recommends applying an EPA-registered mosquito repellent containing products such as DEET, picaridin or IR3535 when outdoors or near water in the hot months.

Temperatures need to be around freezing before mosquitoes will start to die off for the winter, according to pest control experts.

You can learn more about how to prevent mosquito bites online.