A popular bug repellant company maintains a “mosquito forecast” map for the United States, and according to its data, the city of Chicago could see extremely high levels of the blood-sucking insects this Labor Day weekend.
According to the map, compiled by the OFF! brand of bug repellant, the city of Chicago is expected to see “severe” levels of mosquitoes on both Saturday and Sunday, with “high” levels forecasted for the remainder of the weekend.
Elsewhere, mosquito levels are expected to be “high” in the suburbs, as well as in northwestern Indiana, per the company’s website.
According to the company, the “Off!Cast” uses numerous data points to compile its forecast, including detailed climate data, which it uses to determine how many mosquitoes are likely breeding in a given area. That data is then combined with population estimates from more than 5,000 locations around the country.
Finally, the company uses proprietary data about the average lifecycle of mosquitoes in a given territory, then compares all of that data to determine the ebb and flow of mosquito populations over the last six years.
The forecast then assigns each ZIP code in the U.S. a rating on a five-tiered scale, with low being the bottom benchmark and “severe” being the highest.
ZIP codes in Chicago are currently showing a “severe” level for the weekend, with most of the suburbs in all directions currently showing either a “high” or “very high” rating, according to the company.
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Residents are urged to use repellant and other mitigation measures when mosquito activity is at its highest, which occurs just after dawn and just before sunset in most locations.
Areas with standing water are also breeding grounds for mosquitoes, according to experts.
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