We are planning a trip to Maine in mid-July, and I was very excited about staying on Monhegan Island for a couple of nights. However, I just read a post on another forum about the mosquitoes being horrendous in July. I am a mosquito magnet, so that post made me nervous.

Is that post accurate, or will we be fine with some bug spray?

May And early June is generally mosquito season. But in Maine you have mosquitoes everywhere except on the coast. on an island they will be mostly in woodsy areas when hiking so make certain you have a good bug spray

We have been to Monhegan several times in July and do not remember mosquitoes being a big problem. Mosquitoes and black flies as Clark suggests, are more a part of the late spring, early summer wetter season. We always liked living on the Maine coast and its islands because mosquitoes generally are kept away by the regular winds. They love me, and when in Vermont visiting family, I get eaten up all the time in summer. Having said that, I recall one area of woodland we hiked where I recall a fair amount of forested wetlands, and I presume mosquitoes can be active there. You can generally forget the mosquitoes when visiting the Maine coast in July and August. BUT, and this is a big BUT, the Maine coast has a severe tick problem. Lyme disease is the most prevalent disease but there are others: anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and powassan encephalitis. The last three are rarer but potentially more dangerous. Take preventative measures, easily found online, and check yourself regularly. And, now for the good news: the wild deer herd has been blamed for carrying most of the Maine island ticks, and Monhegan allowed a deer kill a few years ago that reportedly wiped out its Lyme disease threat. It has been the safest zone I know of on the Maine coast.

Clark and Whitehall--thank you very much for your helpful information. I thought mosquitoes would be blown away along the coast, which is why I was surprised by the post I saw. I am glad to know that, for the most part, Monhegan is not overrun with the nasty little pests. We will be sure to bring bug spray. Can't wait to spend some time on the island!

Enjoy the island. The boat ride can be exhilarating, past other islands right out of Wyeth paintings. The island itself is small and very, very quiet (maybe 60-70 year-round residents). Virtually no cars, and, if your idea of a vacation is sitting on rocks in an unspoiled and gorgeous part of the world, you won't be disappointed. Can't recall if we got a cell signal there, so this may really be getting away from everything. There are some interesting artists who have little galleries there. One of our favorite places anywhere.

Monhegan is a very special place. I've made a number of day trips to and spent one night on the island. The day I arrived for the overnight, a wedding party also landed, and invited anyone who wanted to attend the service. Three girls playing fiddles and guitars and singing Gaelic music were invited to perform, and did. We skipped the wedding, because we wanted to complete a full circuit of the island. That night, however, we wandered into an island talent show raising money for the church. We had a great -- some of the performers were very funny, others cute.

As mentioned above, I don't recall any problem with mosquitos. If you are worried about deer ticks, look into No-Fly-Zone clothing. Bean's sells it. It's treated with permethrin which kills ticks dead. Some people are sensitive to it, though. Bring a book, take a camera, sketchpad, whatever and enjoy the quiet.

Whitehall and Fra Diavolo--you are getting me even more excited about our visit. It sounds like a delightful island and a chance to really get away from it all!

Thanks for your trip report Bachslunch. How many days did you spend on Monhegan?

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As I recall, there are only about five options for food, a little fish market that cooks up some of their stuff; the island’s two inns, a little ice cream place by the ferry, a grocery store that made sandwiches, and maybe one other place. The Island Inn has changed hands since we were last there; the other inn has been on the market.

Have to admit food is not the island's big draw. The fish market mentioned above did a good lobster roll and chowder. The Island Inn dining room was pretty average, and was BYOB. However, this info is dated.

It is very difficult trying to find a good chef who will be happy living in a remote area and only having a job for less than five months. I know because we owned a seasonal restaurant in our former Maine coastal inn. In fact, one summer, the Island Inn hired one of the chefs we decided not to hire. Every now and then, a really good chef might want to try something different, and you can get lucky.

We visited on a day trip so we packed a lunch. It was lovely to sit among the rocks on a cliff to watch the birds and the ocean while enjoying our lunch. You might want to consider bringing some basic picnic supplies with you i.e. small insulated pack, water, snack items.

dfrostnh--we won't arrive until late afternoon, so that's a good idea. We may bring sandwiches to eat for dinner the first night.