Mosquitos in May?

Cruising on the Pearl next week (May 21-28) and wondering if I should bring along mosquito repellent. Not planning on hiking except at Mendenhall Glacier.

Cruising on the Pearl next week (May 21-28) and wondering if I should bring along mosquito repellent. Not planning on hiking except at Mendenhall Glacier.

Personally, I don't see the harm in packing it - better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. I didn't do any hiking when I went but I do recall there being a lot of mosquito's at Icy Strait. Might just have been a one off of course but I appreciated having the repellent with me.

They're alreay out in our neighborhood in Anchorage. Got two welts mowing the lawn yesterday.;)

Last year in May I had taken some of the spring-looking plastic wrist bands that are mosquito repellent. The only day we used them was in Ketchikan while doing the zip line. Those bands seem to work well and are good for, I'm thinking, 250 hours or something like that. When you're not wearing it you can put it back in the little ziplock bag it came in so that it's good for multiple wearings. The day in Ketchikan, before I put the thing on and waiting at the dock for our shuttle to the zip line, I got bit right on my forehead. ;p I put on two bands to be sure I was well protected - one on my wrist and the other around an ankle. No more mosquitoes. Those bands are at Walmart in the sporting goods area for about $1 each.

Close to salt water there won't be any mosquitoes. Interior woods in boggy areas several miles from salt water with freshwater ponds maybe but May is pretty early. More so than mosquitoes I would be concerned with deer flies (aka Moose flies or Horse flies) and gnats. DEET is only partially effective with deer flies but since they like the "top" of their victim putting a dab of 100% DEET in the top of the head usually works pretty well. But if not going into or near the edge of deep shady woods even that should not be needed.

Thanks for all the info. Wearing a wrist band sure sounds easier than spraying repellent all over (as long as it works), and if they are out in Anchorage already they probably are in SE AK as well, so I appreciate knowing that. I don't think we are going near deep woods: Mendenhall/Glacier Gardens/tram in Juneau, railway/Yukon Excursion in Skagway, Misty Fjords boat tour in Ketchikan, probably to a restaurant in Victoria (still drooling over the chance of king salmon). I like wearing floppy sun hats, will that protect my head from deer flies?

We returned last week from a six week trip, and friends reported that this year it seemed in Fairbanks that the mosquitos were out earlier than usual. We have been working in the yard this week and the skitters are definitely present.

But just a quick comment about mosquito repellant -- most (if not all) companies seem to be packaging their product in both the traditional spray containers but also in individually wrapped wipes (similar to individually wrapped hand wipes). The individually wrapped wipes are more expensive than a spay container, but so handy when traveling.

Of course the mosquitoes are out early. We're coming. lol Sorry to inflict it on the rest of you!

They say clothing can make a difference..... long sleeves would help.

In case I forget mosquito spray... I'm assuming most ships and some port shops sell it?

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