I have read that hotels in Venice don't have window screens and mosquitoes are a problem.<BR><BR>Is this true at pretty much every hotel. Is there any solution besides sleeping with OFF on?<BR><BR>Inor

Yes I would say both are true. Only solution is to keep the windows shut.

I suppose it depends on what time of year you're there. I was in Venice in early October, with weather still quite warm, so I slept with the windows open. No screens, but also no mosquitos then. (And believe me, I would have known if there were, because I get eaten alive here in the States!)

Mosquitoes have never been a problem for me and the 3 times that I have been in Venice. However, I can't speak for the summer season as I have been there in September, October, and early May. It is probably best to travel in the Fall so the weather is a bit cooler as I did not see any mosquitoes. Either way, enjoy yourself in this most wonderful of cities! Truly a romantic, dreamy place to go to! Buon viaggio!

I have been to Venice two times and each time was bothered by mosquitoes (June and September). God bless my father who had brought along finely meshed Netting, thick sewing string and thumb tacks. He rigged up a little tent over each of our beds, and we slept like babies! Light weight and repacked easily into luggage. I'm sure somebody probably manufactures a &quot;ready made&quot; one. Check out local camping suppliers or online. <BR><BR>Venetian mosquitoe bites also seemed to itch more. We found that placing a bandaid over any &quot;frequently bumped&quot; spots, like fingers, prevented flare ups.<BR><BR>Have a great time!

We were in Venice in early May a few years ago and the mosquitos were a bit of a problem. But we made it into a fun opportunity and got bug bite cream from a pharmacy. It has become a joke in our family and everywhere we travel overseas we have to bring home bug bite cream to add to our collection

I have been to Venice many times and I don't recall ever seeing mosquitos. Mosquitos supposedly only breed in stagnant water. The water in the canals is always moving.

Tell me when you're going. I will come along. If there are mosquitos (or mosquitoes, as Dan Quayle told me to spell them) they will all come to my room. When we have those pesky pests in the back yard, my darling Tracy says, 'Tom, come join me in the yard.&quot; Whiler I am eaten alive, she can enjoy her afternoon. Mosquito(e)s love me. I hate them. By the way, as someone who writes for a semi-living (I know you can't tell by these posts), I want to congratulate you for the first offering of the words &quot;Off on&quot; not using it as a light switch question.

&quot;Whiler I am eaten alive&quot;<BR><BR>I said I wrote...not edited!

I should amend my post. I stayed there in October and got all bit up, while in January I did not.

If you'd rather inhale bug repellent than wear it, you can try either the anti-mosquito coils (which you light with a match - some Italian hotels supply them for rooms) or bring a little gizmo that you plug into a light socket and load up with repellent chips or oil. I always travel with one in Europe in the summer (easily purchased in the UK). Another handy anti-bug product (also bought in the UK) are &quot;Jungle Formula Wipes&quot; - a moist towelette (sp?) that comes sealed up in a little green package - very portable for those days/evenings when you unexpectedly encounter biting insects.

We had good success last summer in Venice with an Avon product that is a sunscreen with a built-in bug repellent. I'm sorry, but I can't remember the name. Maybe someone else here knows it?<BR>In a pinch, one summer in Nice, I also used Noxema. It seemed to work pretty effectively.<BR>Good luck!

It must depend on the weather in a particular year, or the time of year, or part of Venice you are in. We have never seen or heard a mosquito on any of our visits. All of our trips have been in late spring early-mid summer (June/July). We've also never experienced unpleasant odors others have written about.

my worst experience with mosquitoes was in Bath, England a number of years ago.<BR>Charming quaint room decor, no air conditioning, open windows, and we provided a banquet for 5 million mosquitoes.<BR><BR>Since then, I'm willing to save money on other things, but not on giving up having a/c in warm months. I want those windows closed! (Quieter, too)

Didn't notice mosquitos while I was there in early June last year, but a day of two after leaving Venice, both wife and I had a couple of dozen small bites on our legs. particulary around the ankles. They didn't really itch much and went away a couple of days later. I had some repellent with me but never used it, 'cuz like I said we never saw any. They must come out at night.

Avon product referred to, skin moisturizer/bug stuff, is Skin-so-soft. I swear by it. It worked for me in Italy two yrs. ago in August when the mosquitos were a bit of al problem. Its quite innofensive in odor, I think it has citronella in it but is not obnoxious for either men or women and I even got my environically-concerned teen to put it on (had to hide the label revealing its origins in &quot;the evil corporate empire&quot;!)

LJ: Hate to burst your bubble, but recent studies on Skin-so-Soft pretty much puts down it's effectiveness as something akin to an urban legend. The repellent factor of Skin-so-soft is measured in minutes (40 minutes per application) as opposed to hours (up to 8 for higher %'s)for most DEET products. I had to spend (work-related) time in Guyana last year, and received quite a bit of literature on mosquitos at the time of various vacinations. Skin-so soft smells nice but plan on re-applying every hour or so.

I've been to Venice in July and November and never encountered a mosquito (nor the bad smaell sometimes people complain about). I read that August is the time when the water is most stagnant; perhaps if there are mosquitos that's when they would most likely occur.

Venice is in an inlet from the ocean (salt water) mosquitoes don't breed in salt water.The question of mosquitos in fountains, etc. is slightly possible, but if you were bitten by something...it probably wasn't a mosquito. My ex husband was seriously bitten by a spider in Rome many years ago and I did not HIRE THE SPIDER!!!!!

elaine ----<BR>It's interesting to hear you say that about mosquitos in England. I've lived here for three years and never had any bite me ever. I was told they don't have them here.