Mosquitoes?

[Idaho45guy]

How bad are they where you live?

I've lived in multiple states and never had an issue with mosquitoes. Sure, there are plenty, but never so bad that I had to wear a head net or douse myself in repellent in order to enjoy the outdoors. Once, while camping in North Idaho next to a river and in a swampy lowland area, the mosquitoes were pretty bad and actually put on repellent.

A couple of years ago, I was out fishing on a small lake not far from here and a gentleman and his wife rowed by in a canoe. We exchanged pleasantries and he remarked how incredible it was to not be getting attacked by mosquitoes. He was out visiting his son and was from Wisconsin. He said the mosquitoes were so bad that you had to douse yourself in deet and wear a head net when in the woods. He was amazed at how pleasant it was out here.

Then last week, I was watching some show about couples in Alaska trying to survive and a couple of the women were wearing head nets. You could actually see clouds of mosquitoes on camera. The guys would be talking and mosquitoes were flying into their mouths. It was crazy.

I've lived in Idaho, Washington, Arizona, Hawaii, Iowa, and California and the only place it was pretty bad was Hawaii. We had an outdoor theater on base that everybody called Mosquito Theater. They sold citronella coils along with the popcorn.

This year, we had such a mild winter that they say the mosquitoes and yellowjackets are going to be worse than they've been in years, so we'll see. I know ticks are already bad.

How bad do the mosquitoes get where you live? Curious as to if it's a Midwestern and Southern state thing or what.

[Winger Ed.]

You could actually see clouds of mosquitoes on camera. The guys would be talking and mosquitoes were flying into their mouths.

Having only been in Anchorage a hour or two in February, I didn't think mosquitos would be a issue up there.

I was watching a dinosaur chasing show once and the scientist types were digging in a river bank during the summer.
They were wearing bee keeper suits for what looked like thick clouds of gnats....
It wasn't a dense cloud of gnats---- it was mosquitos.

[Chris S]

Guess this is one good thing about living in the desert. Here in the Las Vegas valley we have no mosquitos... of course we have very little water either. You buy your ticket and you take your ride I guess...

Chris

[bmortell]

im northeast and they are only around in summer nights but its annoying ya

[lightman]

They are pretty bad here in my part of Arkansas. You plan your Summer activities to be in before dusky dark. They are not out yet but are due about anytime. If you walk through tall grass they will fog all over you. Around rice fields is especially bad. The Buffalo Knats are bad to. Their bit hurts and leaves a pretty good whelp. They also kill a lot of Deer here in the Delta.

[Land Owner]

There are fresh water and salt marsh mosquitos as well as salt marsh "No See Ums" here. Mosquito bites and their raised whelps last and itch longer.

No See Ums bite HARD, bite fast, bite often, and bite EVERYWHERE that skin is exposed, leaving a stinging red whelp - or a line around the face and neck, even into the scalp through your hair. Mosquito netting is ineffective against No See Ums. They are tiny enough to slide right through the netting.



One way to wreck these invasive reigns of terror is to douse your clothes with PERMETHRIN. A 0.50% concentration is quite effective. Permethrin, a synthetic pyrethroid derivative of the chrysanthemum flower, acts as insect LSD and KILLS them. It permanently switches on their bug nervous systems until they OD. Forget OFF and DEET, which only drive them away.

All the bugs have to do is walk over a treated area and they will die. So too will be the fate of biting yellow flies, horse flies, flies of all kinds, wasps, ants, TICKS, and just about any insect that probes the clothes (subterranean termites [I find] can be killed too).



During ZIKA and West Nile virus epidemics, multiple counties in FL contracted aerial spraying through a squadron of WWII aircraft (4) in close formation for major impact (quite a sight), flying over all county land in a night. Now, some counties have a fleet of helicopter mounted spraying equipment, an announced spraying schedule, and ad valorem tax derived budgets.

[RU shooter]

Not too bad in western Pa , we get bit up pretty good out fishing on a hot muggy night with no breeze though . Worst I ever experienced was fishing up in Quebec on a remote fly in lake if the boat stopped you were attacked ! Deep woods off repelant was worthless Head nets helped a lot .

[Wayne Smith]

Permethrin - good stuff but do not put it on your skin. Not good for you. Use on clothing only. It is persistent through several washes.

I am a mosquito magnet. When I was a kid we would be working in the garden and I would be getting bit and my dad, right next to me, was ignored. Likewise today, we go out to pick blueberries, I am eaten up and LOML is ignored.

[Markopolo]

ummmm wellllll, here in alaska, the no see em's are so big you can see em, and well the mosquitoes look like hummingbirds and follow em-mass.. i do wear bug dope, and a head net is in my day pack continuously. but here in SE prince of wales island, there are no large groups of people, and no large groups of caribou... so its not as bad as the interior, but I still carry he head gear and the bug dope...

[Pressman]

They are the State bird of Minnesota. Warm weather is slowly arriving so they will be back soon.

[toallmy]

In the salty marshes around here , they will carry off a skinny teenager whole , never to be seen again .
When I grew up - we had to be in the house by sundown or be eating alive .

[jimlj]

The worse I have ever seen them was on the Green River north of Labarge WY. I took my son fishing there and a black cloud gathered around the truck before we got out. It went down hill from there. They are not too bad where I live now. Except for the fishing trip, they usually leave me alone if there are other people around.

[Finster101]

We certainly have no lack of them here in Florida, but nothing like I encountered on an Alaska trip a few years ago.

[Rick Hodges]

Here in the North Country there are two seasons....."Shovel and Swat". I have watched my friend coming over the crest of a hill in the spring. Spotted the cloud of mosquitoes long before you could see him. I rarely use a headnet, but before I quit smoking I have been known to stoke up a cigar to keep them away. Repellent and proper clothing are a must.

[375supermag]

Hi...
I live in southcentral Pennsylvania.
Mosquitoes are certainly around but I can't remember the last time I got bit by one. No see ums are a bigger issue...they drive my wife crazy.
Close by the Susquehanna River so may flies can be an issue this time of year.

Ticks are the biggest insect pest we deal with to be truthful. Keep the Labrador Retrievers treated and check ourselves if we spend any time in the woods.

[MT Gianni]

In MT I have been at a lake where you didn't bother to swat them unless you could kill 5 at once. It was in the mid 80's and we were all bundled with jackets, hoods or long sleeved shirts. Most of the bottom ground here between last and first frosts you need 100% deet if you're out and about. We get a lot of sub ground water during the summer months.

[lightman]

In my original post I forgot to mention that we have a mosquitoe program here in town. They have a fee added on to the water bill. They used to do arieal spraying but there got be so many cell towers that they went to using trucks with sprayers in the back.

[trebor44]

Montana has some of the more aggressive ones, especially those in the Wisdom area. The Beartooth Plateau is another 'hot spot'. Had to eat lunch on the run to avoid the extra protein when working in the backcountry. They are a 'nuisance' but they can mitigated to a degree with 'repellent' (avoid the ones they like) and clothing. Idaho has Buffalo gnats and they can be very very annoying! Run your fingers through your hair and then wash off the blood!

Mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, deer flies etc.; they are just a part of the great outdoors paradise!

[gbrown]

I live in SETX. About 30 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Marshes line the coast from La. all the way to Mexico. Needless to say, we have enough mosquitoes to share with everyone. Plus, we get 50 inches + of rain a year. You have to be aware of anything that catches water in the yard and keep it empty. However, we have a very aggressive Mosquito Control Department in our county government that does aerial spraying over urban areas of the county and ground fogging with special vehicles that drive through the neighborhoods. This is very effective and usually keeps the little buggers down to an acceptable level that you can live with.

[dangitgriff]