More Bugs and Pests in US Cities

May 14, 2026, 16:36
USHealth

Introduction

Many US cities have more pests now. New York City is a dangerous place for these bugs.

Main Body

The weather changed quickly from cold to hot. This made the air wet. Ticks, mosquitoes, and rats love wet places. In the south, it is too hot and dry. So, scorpions and cockroaches move to find water. New York has many more ticks. In 2024 and 2025, the number of ticks grew by 145 percent. Many people in New York get Lyme disease. In 2024, almost 19,000 people were sick. Doctors say it is hard to find Lyme disease. Some people do not have a red rash on their skin. They only feel tired or have pain in their joints. Many people go to the hospital for tick bites now.

Conclusion

Health workers are watching these bugs. They tell people to be careful and use bug spray.

Learning

🌑️ The 'Change' Pattern

In English, we often describe how one thing leads to another using simple patterns. Look at this sequence from the text:

Cold β†’\rightarrow Hot β†’\rightarrow Wet Air β†’\rightarrow More Bugs

How to use this for A2: To describe a situation, use "This made..." or "So..."

  • The weather changed β†’\rightarrow This made the air wet.
  • It is too dry β†’\rightarrow So, bugs move.

πŸ₯ Talking About Health

When you are sick, use these simple phrases found in the article:

  • "Get [disease]" β†’\rightarrow Many people get Lyme disease.
  • "Feel [emotion/state]" β†’\rightarrow They only feel tired.
  • "Have [pain/mark]" β†’\rightarrow Have pain in their joints.

Quick Tip: Use HAVE for things on your body (rash, pain) and FEEL for how your mind or energy is (tired, sad).

Vocabulary Learning

city (n.)
an area where many people live and work
Example:I live in a big city.
weather (n.)
the state of the atmosphere, like sunny or rainy
Example:The weather today is sunny.
cold (adj.)
having a low temperature
Example:It is cold outside.
hot (adj.)
having a high temperature
Example:The soup is hot.
wet (adj.)
covered or saturated with water
Example:The ground is wet after the rain.
dry (adj.)
not wet; lacking moisture
Example:The desert is very dry.
water (n.)
a clear liquid that is essential for life
Example:I drink water every day.
number (n.)
a count of how many things there are
Example:The number of students is 30.
percent (n.)
a part of a hundred
Example:The discount is 20 percent.
people (n.)
human beings
Example:Many people are walking.
doctor (n.)
a person who treats illnesses
Example:The doctor will see you.
hospital (n.)
a place where sick people are treated
Example:She works at a hospital.
health (n.)
the state of being free from illness
Example:Good health is important.
watch (v.)
to look at something carefully
Example:Please watch the movie.
careful (adj.)
cautious about danger
Example:Be careful on the stairs.
spray (n.)
a mist of liquid used for cleaning or protection
Example:Use a bug spray.
bug (n.)
a small insect
Example:There is a bug on the table.
pest (n.)
an animal that causes trouble
Example:The pest in the house is a mouse.
place (n.)
an area or spot
Example:This is a nice place.
dangerous (adj.)
able to cause harm
Example:The road is dangerous at night.
grow (v.)
to increase in size or number
Example:Plants grow in the garden.
move (v.)
to change position
Example:Move the chair.
find (v.)
to discover something
Example:I find the book.
love (v.)
to like very much
Example:I love chocolate.
feel (v.)
to sense or experience
Example:I feel tired.
tired (adj.)
needing rest; exhausted
Example:I am tired.
pain (n.)
a feeling of discomfort
Example:I have a pain in my leg.
joint (n.)
a part where two bones meet
Example:The knee is a joint.
rash (n.)
a red area on the skin
Example:He has a rash on his arm.
skin (n.)
the outer covering of the body
Example:The skin is soft.
red (adj.)
the color of blood
Example:The apple is red.
sick (adj.)
unwell or ill
Example:She is sick.
hard (adj.)
difficult to do
Example:It is hard to learn.
quick (adj.)
fast
Example:He ran quick.
change (v.)
to make different
Example:I will change my shirt.
new (adj.)
not old or previously used
Example:This is a new book.
south (adj.)
the direction opposite north
Example:We went to the south.
tick (n.)
a small parasite that bites
Example:The tick is on my arm.
mosquito (n.)
a small insect that bites
Example:The mosquito buzzed.
rat (n.)
a rodent that lives in cities
Example:The rat ran away.
scorpion (n.)
a creature with a tail that stings
Example:The scorpion is dangerous.
cockroach (n.)
a large insect that lives in dark places
Example:The cockroach crawled.
bite (n.)
the act of biting
Example:The bite hurt.
bite (v.)
to bite
Example:The dog bites.
disease (n.)
an illness that makes people sick
Example:The disease spreads.
Lyme (n.)
a disease that comes from tick bites
Example:Lyme disease is serious.