Venice - Mosquitos

We're going to Venice in a couple of weeks - are there many mosquitos?

No. I've been to Venice at least 7 times now in spring, summer and fall and have never seen mosquitos

We stayed just off the Grand Canal two years ago. We stupidly left our window open one night instead of switching the AC on.

We were invaded by mozzies as we slept. They bit our arms and faces very badly. My husband spent the next night swatting them, there were hundreds of the creatures hiding in our room! :mad:

I didn't look my best for the first few days of the cruise....:eek:

We've never had a problem and always leave our windows open. . .go figure. Our room was right on the Guidecca Canal. . .

We were in Venice for a few days mid-June this year and never saw a single mosquito

Some people do seem to attract them more than others (my grandmother used to tell one of my cousins that it was because she had such sweet blood), if that's an issue or a concern for you carry some repellent with you. It's worth the small amount of space and weight it takes up in your luggage to feel comfortable.

Thanks. I'll take repellent for myself and the room. Mosquitos seem to be attracted to me and I don't respond well to bites.

Definitely gotten mosquito bites just walking around Venice. Not a problem during the daylight but they came out of hiding at dusk. This was during the month of May.

Well I hate going to bed smeared with stinky DEET. Here in Canada`s north, we get horrible mosquitoes for about six weeks in spring at our cottage. OFF has some new products that have really helped. There is a lantern that emits a soft glow from a candle. The heat passes over a paper tablet that allows us to sit outdoors when the mosquitoes are thicker than flies on watermelon.

Do I ask myself what I am breathing? Yes. But no more than I ask myself what my skin is absorbing from the DEET (which melted the plastic on our canoe paddle handles).

Sometimes you just suck it up so the mosquitoes don`t eat you alive.

I think it depends on the season - when we were there for carnival earlier in the year we had a plug in deterrant in the hotel room where we stayed - but despite the flooding (oh the acqua alta!) we didn't have any problems. I imagine it was too cold at the time for them.

Do I ask myself what I am breathing? Yes. But no more than I ask myself what my skin is absorbing from the DEET (which melted the plastic on our canoe paddle handles).

 

Sometimes you just suck it up so the mosquitoes don`t eat you alive.

Have you tried Picaridin based repellents? I buy Natrapel which is Picaridin based in the States. It doesn't melt plastics and I've had pretty good results with it.

http://www.ewg.org/research/ewgs-guide-bug-repellents/repellent-chemicals

To the OP: We'll also be there in a few weeks with a 1 oz bottle of insect repellent. A bit goes a long way. Standard toiletries are usually easier to purchase overseas than a good tried and true insect repellent. Or even making sure that it is insect repellent in Italian rather than insecticide...

We saw none last Friday. :p

Have you tried Picaridin based repellents? I buy Natrapel which is Picaridin based in the States. It doesn't melt plastics and I've had pretty good results with it.

http://www.ewg.org/research/ewgs-guide-bug-repellents/repellent-chemicals

 

To the OP: We'll also be there in a few weeks with a 1 oz bottle of insect repellent. A bit goes a long way. Standard toiletries are usually easier to purchase overseas than a good tried and true insect repellent. Or even making sure that it is insect repellent in Italian rather than insecticide...

If nothing else, you can use the size of the bottle to tell the insecticide (large) from the insect repellent (small). :) But I agree,if you have a tied and true favourite, bring it on your travels.

Here is a tidbit for fellow Americans. When we first started traveling in Europe (about forty years ago) we were surprised that there were no screens on windows. One night, while staying with some English friends at their home in Hampshire, we asked why they had no screens on their windows (it was a warm night and we had many windows open). Our friends responded by asking us "what is a screen?" We have not noticed much change in the past forty years. Our British friends just tell us they have no mosquitoes in Europe (which is not true...and we have the bites to prove it).

Hank

Here is a tidbit for fellow Americans. When we first started traveling in Europe (about forty years ago) we were surprised that there were no screens on windows. One night, while staying with some English friends at their home in Hampshire, we asked why they had no screens on their windows (it was a warm night and we had many windows open). Our friends responded by asking us "what is a screen?" We have not noticed much change in the past forty years. Our British friends just tell us they have no mosquitoes in Europe (which is not true...and we have the bites to prove it).

 

Hank

To be fair, there are not many mosquitos in the UK, and not many nights when one needs to leave the windows wide open (most years, anyway). In bygone years many people had net curtains on their windows, and that helped keep the little blighters out too. Net curtains are fairly scarce these days.

Mozzies are easier to find on the Continent, but so are screens! :)

I discovered a fantastic mosquito repellent called Mosquito Milk. It contains deet but is unlike other deet products. Does not have the strong chemical smell or the stickiness. I use the roll on and just have to apply a couple of strips down my arms and legs and a few dots around the face and I'm protected. I've only used it in Rhodes, Greece so far so will try it out in Venice. I will also take a plug-in repellent for the room.

There actually aren't screens on the Continent- at least all the hotels I've staying in (Italy, Spain, France, Austria, Ireland)-they are really an American thing.

There actually aren't screens on the Continent- at least all the hotels I've staying in (Italy, Spain, France, Austria, Ireland)-they are really an American thing.

Not always in old hotels or old houses, true . But we are in Central Italy and have them in our house. They came from the Italian firm that made the windows. Our neighbours on both sides have them too, and some, but not all, of our friends. (New, double-glazed windows in old houses.) Sooo much nicer than having to hang mosquito nets around the beds! :)

I discovered a fantastic mosquito repellent called Mosquito Milk. It contains deet but is unlike other deet products. Does not have the strong chemical smell or the stickiness. I use the roll on and just have to apply a couple of strips down my arms and legs and a few dots around the face and I'm protected. I've only used it in Rhodes, Greece so far so will try it out in Venice. I will also take a plug-in repellent for the room.

It's probably just my experience, but I will never sleep with DEET on my skin again. It's not just the smell, that stuff melts ABS plastic. I'd rather sleep overheated with the sheet pulled over my head.

Been to Venice 4 times and the only time we got eaten alive was when we stayed in Mestre. No A/C after 1am so we opened the windows......bad move. We got many, many bites! This was in early October. The other times we didn't have a problem but we kept the windows closed-just in case.

A few weeks ago, we were in Venice for 36 hours. We didn't notice any mosquitos. Personally, mosquitos tend to like to bite me and I rarely feel them land on my skin. I didn't get any mosquito bites during our entire cruise.

having just returned from a cruise with a few days before and after in Venice I can confirm there are definitely mosquitos in Venice!

I took sunscreen with insect repellent but after a shower thought was safe walking around 6pm with sun still up-wrong-Only discovered next day had been bitten 3 times one of which came up in a large blister

got some deet free repellent for children which stinks but covered myself in it on return to Venice, however the pesky so and sos bit my hands which with washing had been left unprotected!

one bite on knuckle which is now inflamed,2 others on fingers,have had to remove my wedding ring-obviously am a magnet as husband completely unaffected

the clue is that in the hotel drawer you will find a plug in mosquito repellent so they are a known problem

for future travel going to buy citronella infused bracelets as well as insect repellent sunscreen-any other suggestions gratefully received

signed

a lumpy and itchy traveller:(

Have just returned from Venice. Like fabnfortysomething we were also bitten by mosquitos. We stayed one night prior to cruise and although I had two plug in mosquito repellants, still got a bite. After cruise stayed another two nights and this time I used the mosquito repellent lotion and plug-ins and was not bitten but my daughter had about four or five bites on her.

I'm going to pretend I never saw this; one less thing to worry about! :)

I'm going to pretend I never saw this; one less thing to worry about! :)

Unless you're staying overnight, you may not need to worry. For the most part mozzies don't start to bother until after dark, and we've never had an issue with them. Bring some insect repellent, or plan to buy some locally if you're staying a day or two in advance.