States with few mosquitos?
 

Are there states with fewer mosquitos than others? I assume the "drier" states would have fewer? I'm tired of my kids getting eaten up every summer!

Linda, if drier meant fewer, I would think Arizona might be a good choice :)
We have had such a wet summer that I noticed mosquitos sitting on Pups back! so I am spraying both of us with OFF whenever we go out now!
Otherwise, everytime I get a headache, I will be sure it is West Nile :(

Being semi arrid the great state of Montana has lots fewer than other places I've lived.
This year pratically none due to the very dry summer.

I think the smog kills them here in Los Angeles...:)

mina, I can picture these little suckers flying around with these teeny tiny little gas masks on ...

We love the State of Aruba - no bugs!

Aruba?? not even no- see- ums?

Mosquitos are very rare in Arizona...just not enough moisture to sustain their lives.

Believe it or not, Oregon and Washington are largely mosquito free. In fact, lots of homes don't have screens. Shh. It's one of our secrets.

gocats is correct!
I remember living in Reno and being eaten alive by Mosquitos...moved to Oregon...hardly ever see one.

I live in western Nebraska and can't count the number of people here with West Nile. We're in a serious drought but had a wet spring--prime breeding time for the critters. Several people currently in our local hospital and one death. Only the sickest are tested (since the test is about $300) but docs can usually pinpoint it after hearing symptoms. We keep the Off right by the front door and douse ourselves when we go outside. Scary and they say the worst is yet to come in September.

I live in Reno, and haven`t seen a mosquito in years.

That really surprises me about Nebraska.
I picture it as being "drier".
That also surprises me about Oregon & Washington. I thought, with all the rain they get, they would have the little buggers.

Linda, I know--it's really taken us by surprise. We're only an hour away from the worst part of Colorado (the hardest hit state)for West Nile. We think our son had it early on in the 'season'--he had the classic achiness and rash on his chest and stomach. Thank goodness his immune system is strong--he was back to normal within 4-5 days.

linda8,
It is somewhat of a mystery to all of us why we don't have mosquitos in Oregon and Washington. I think it is because summers are quite dry, with virtually no rainfall, so there is little standing warm, boggy type water.
The only time we had mosquitos in Oregon was when we didn't run the pump in our backyard pond one summer when we were doing some construction. I was bitten for the first time, and finally saw the lavae growing in our very own pond. We drained it pronto and the problem ended. So, that's why I'm thinking it's the lack of standing water.

Think I'll move to Oregon!
Tess, I'm glad your son is okay!
What a scare!

ttt

Try New York. Amazingly, I haven't had a single mosquito bite all summer.

Alexis - what part of NY do you live in? I live in the Adirondacks and the mosquitoes here could carry you away!! That's after the black flies finish with you :)

Agree--OR and WA are low in mosquitoes (and bugs in general, like fleas and ticks). We were just talking about this last night, since hardly anyone here in Europe has screens on their windows. I don't get it, because the Netherlands is full of mosquitoes! We spent a night near Utrecht about two months ago and were full of bites in the morning. Ugh.
There was a nature show on Big Sur tonight on a Flemish station and we got homesick for all our walks along the Pacific, especially the Oregon coast.
BTilke (Brussels)

Definately not Illinois. I was out last night and have spent all day itching. Not Michigan either. Spend weekends there and Monday itching! I have 3 on my neck and two on my arm that are driving me nuts right now!:(

ah4sail, I'm in NYC so I was kidding a little but not completely. Even here, I get bitten at least a couple of times every summer. And during the blackout I slept with the non-screened windows open and I expected to wake to find the apartment filled with the critters but didn't find not a one. The amazing part is when we've gone out to Long Island on the weekends we can sit outside all night long and not be bitten at all. Not even my DH who is a mosquito magnet. With the unually wet spring and summer we've had, I would've thought it would be worse than ever. The only reason I can think of is that the last 2 summers, NYC was spraying alot because of West Nile. Maybe the overall mosquito population hasn't rebounded here because of that.

Definitely not Alaska in the summertime.

The smaller ones you can pick off with a rifle. The larger ones are like dive bombers.

:P

I live in Arizona (Phoenix/Scottsdale) and felt the need to respond to other posters. If you are more succeptable (like me) to mosquito's than others, beware - they will find you! I've lived here for 8 years and was surprised when I first got here that I got bites at the golf course. The more the population grows here (and trust me, there are lots of pools and people who want green & water too!) the more the mosq population grows. I just read a local article saying this too (the average temerature is rising because of more concrete and water too). Believe it or not, I was outside just before dusk tonight for about 10 minutes, and I'm scratching at 2-3 buggers! But I admit is was MUCH worse in St. Louis during the summer...

Certainly NOT Atlanta. I went outside for no more than 10 minutes yesterday and both of my legs are lumpy, itchy messes. We stay inside during the warms months not because of the heat but because of mosquitos.

I think it very much depends on your proximity to water. As a kid we had a farm pond near our house and I used to have big red mosquito welts all the time.

I moved only about 12 miles away as an adult and we rarely see a mosquito.

Now, in SC THIS YEAR, all bets are off. There's been so much rain EVERYTHING is a pond. And of course, the mosquitos are worse.

The only state in which I have never been bitten by mosquitoes are Maine (but that's only because I've never been to Maine) and Hawaii.

Back in Pennsylvania, a wet summer meant lots of mosquitoes, a dry summer (like 1995) meant lots of yellowjackets. All things considered, I'll take the mosquitoes over the yellowjackets.