Is it true that Alaska has a "mosquito season"?

Question

Everyone around here keeps trying to discourage me from going to alaska by saying that they have an insane mosquito season in the summer is it true?

Answer 1

Summer is the mosquito season in Alaska.

Don't let the your friends discourage you from going. It is a beautiful state. The mosquitoes and other biting insects like black flies and midges (no-see-ums) are tolerable if you use some repellent. I recommend you use a repellant with at least 25% DEET. That seems to work best - for me anyway.

The mosquitoes aren't really a problem in populated areas and are more of a concern in remote areas. I was recently in Katmai National Park which is pretty remote and the mosquitoes didn't bother me at all as long as I used repellent. They were a little pesky at Kantishna in Denali National Park and in Wrangel-St. Elias National Park but the repellent makes them tolerable. I had a headnet but the insect problem was never bad enough for me to use it.

Answer 2

Mosquito Season In Alaska

Answer 3

Yeah, actually that is true. Summer is Mosquito Season. There isn't much of a Fall (about 2 weeks), and there isn't really any Spring either. We call it "Break Up" where all the snow melts in about 2 weeks and suddenly everything is in bloom. The mosquitos can be so thick that you seem to be looking through a vibrating grey cloud. However, if you live in the city (Fairbanks, Anchorage, or Juneau) you won't experience that terribly often. I lived in Alaska for 16 years and I want to go back. I loved it there! I say go ahead and try it out for yourself.

Answer 4

I have lived in Alaska for 25 years and yes the mosquitos can be bad wherever there are woods and moisture (near rivers etc). But they are not really worse than many similar places in other parts of the US such as northern New England. I have gotten way worse bitten by black flies in NH than I ever got bitten by mosquitos in AK.

The mosquitos tend to be worse (ok, horrendous at times) where there is no wind, like in the interior parts of the state. In breezy/windy areas (Mat Su Valley, Anchorage surrounding areas), the air movement keeps the flying bugs down somewhat.

Really, if the bugs were that bad I would not have stayed here so long.

Answer 5

yes and they are huge. I saw a documentary about these guys kayaking around the coast of alaska. They were covered with mosquitos regardless of the repellant they used. Never saw anything like it. Clouds of mosquitos everywhere. One would think the cold would be too much for them. This was, mind you, on the coastal areas lots of marshes and wet grasslands. Alaska is quite beautiful. You should go.

Answer 6

I was stationed in Alaska for two years. Yes, there is a problem with mosquitoes and biting flies too. But you can protect yourself with repellent. It isn't all that hard to deal with.

Alaska is unbelievably pretty. You'll regret it forever if you don't go.

Answer 7

Yes they have mosquitos and they are big but it is worth going. You cannot even imagine what a beautiful state that Alaska is. Go and enjoy and bring your mosquito repellant.

Answer 8

because of the permafrost...i detect it demanding to believe potatoes are grown in Alaska. not too a lot of a deep rooted plant does nicely.i believe they are called "Alaska Gold or Yukon Gold" because of the yellow color like the gold in Alaska.

Answer 9

Yes they have mosquitoes, and they are huge.

Answer 10

Oh yeah and they are as big as hummingbirds. Take a lot of bug spray!!!!!!!!!!!!