It has been a rough year for dealing with mosquitoes and other flying insects. This seems to be the worst we can remember in our six seasons at the lodge. It has been just wet enough that the mosquito population is very thick. Usually when people question how bad the bugs are we can honestly say “Not Bad”, but this year has been different. You will want to beef up your packing job to make sure you are prepared.
What we are doing about the bugs:
We are keeping the grass cut short around camp to minimize mosquito habitat. Mosquitoes prefer cool shady areas to rest during the day. Keeping the grass short allows more sun to penetrate and reduces places for them to rest.
We remove any standing water we can find around the camp. Mosquitoes breed in standing water.
We are also emptying the shelves in town of mosquito coils to keep your room stocked. Burning coils is a great way to keep mosquitoes from annoying you on the deck if there isn’t much wind.
You may notice a couple bat houses around the camp. Bats are capable of eating hundreds of mosquitoes each night although some studies suggest mosquitoes may only make up a small portion of a bat’s diet.
What you can do about the bugs:
Cover your skin! Wear loose fitting pants and long sleeves so the bugs can’t bite through the material. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors so wear light colors.
Apply insect repellent that you can spray on your skin. Pack something that is at least 25-30% DEET and re-apply as necessary. Remember DEET will eat through and weaken some fishing lines so spray away from your reel. The natural repellents and home remedies don’t seem to be cutting it this year so we would recommend a DEET based repellent. A mosquito net isn’t a bad idea either if you plan on fishing late.
The OFF! brand repellent fans and Thermacells work well too for fishing late or lounging on the deck if there isn’t too much wind. You can put one in the front of the boat and one in the back and build a mosquito-free bubble.
It also wouldn’t hurt to pack some anti-itch cream, such as Afterbite, to use on those extra itchy bites. The ones on your ankles are the worst if you ask me.
If there is anything else you use to repel mosquitoes let us know!