I can take your wisecracks. Go ahead.

Anyway, a woman I spoke with today mentioned
she encountered a lot of mosquitos in Bruges.
Thinking about it, I can see why. My wife and
I are planning a canal walking trip for a few days during the first part of September. We'll be out after dusk too. I'm used to bugs on my hiking vacations, but don't think about them on city treks.

Anyone else notice this? When do they die down?

I was there in July 2003 and I never saw a mosquito. Maybe I was just lucky.

we were there in the early part of september 2006...zero bugs.

Can't speak for September, but we were there for 3 days and nights in late June and did not encounter even one mosquito.

Was there July of last year - zero bugs - and they usually love ME if they're around!

Thanks. I'm going to have a word with that lady. BTW, why do we have so many mosquitos over here? I went to Switzerland a few summers ago and did not see one mosquito on a hiking trip. Yet when I go in my back yard, I'm mugged by them.

Not sure where "over here" is, but I live in central Maryland, USA, and haven't seen a mosquito in years. Must be the air pollution or something.

It is possible for an area to have lots of mosquitos one year, and very few another.

The States has always had more mosquitos than Europe, which is why we have screens and they don't. The worse that I encountered was camping by the headwaters of the Missouri, which makes sense since it is known for its fly fishing.

Sounds like your informant is a winger.

Wherever there's water and a humid environment, there will be mosquitos. There are mosquitos in Brugge around the canals. How much, that may depend from one year to another. In 2006 there were very little of them, probably because the month of July was extremely dry. End August/September is top mosquito season, by the way.
Anti-moquito products are sold in every pharmacy or drugstore in Belgium. They're very effective if you use them the right way ...

There are mosquitoes (and especially flies) in Switzerland too. Window and door screens are becoming more common.

Bruges. No sureley she meant Scotland or Finland. No logical reason for massive mossies in Bruge

Hi C,

Here in GA, we are lucky to have been invaded by the Asian Tiger mosquito.

Little, bitty things. Quick as lightning.

They are active 24/7.

Europeans have big, slow, wimpy mosquitos that only come out at night.

You can hear them coming. If one lands on you, you can kill it before it bites.

Here in vermont we have the deerfly when its bright and mosquitos when its dark.
We were fortunate enough to have a couple of bats move on our property last year and it really helped with the skeeters.

I was in Bruges in July once and didn't notice any unusual mosquito activity, and I was around the canals to some degree, of course, and was out around dusk.