Are mosquitos a problem all year long in Venice? We are hoping to stay in an apartment right on the Grand Canal in mid April...would March be better?

Thanks.

My husband and I stayed at the Hotel Violino d’Oro overlooking Moise Canal for three nights starting April 19, 2008 (near Valloresso vaporetto stop). We had a room on the second floor that had a canal and Moise Square view. We had the windows open at night because it was warm and stuffy in the room. We both ended up with mosquito bites. Don't know how March would be...maybe depends on the temperature.

I think you'll be okay. That would be very unusual in April. The mosquitoes bite on a warm twillight, and you're unlikely to have that so early. Not enough breeding time most years. And you won't be leaving your windows open at night during that time of year.

Pack a few mosquito wipes (they sell them in camping stores) if you are the type of person who easily gets bitten and use them if you are having a cocktail or eating al fresco on the canals.

ooop! well there is macinpv's experience -- which I don't doubt, because I was in Venezia a week later, and it was a warmish April.

That said, it was unusually warm, in my opinion this last year. Temperatures subsequently went down again until June.

Maybe the answer is a hotel with air con? I wouldn't want to miss the likelihood of sunnier days in Venezia, unless you are allergic to mosquito bites.

I've never noticed a problem with mosquitoes there in April, but this past March (early half of the month) and March of '07 (mid-month) I did have a couple of them buzzing around my head as I tried to sleep at night. It sure wasn't balmy, and the apartment I stay at isn't located near any canal, either.

I wonder if being on the Grand Canal will be less of a bug problem since the water is moving. I am one to sleep with the windows open...I like the noise and activity.

There is plenty of standing water around the Grand Canal.

I thought we'd be off the hook in October of last year and I still got bitten. It wasn't even very warm and we had a day of rain. I would imagine they'd be around in April.

Mosquitoes have more or less become an all-year-round problem in Venice. With the general climate change, winters are not cold enough to kill all of them. During one of my last visits to Venice, I had a long and interesting conversation about the problem with the barista of "my" local bar.