# How bad are mosquitos during summer in Lake Tahoe?



## Amy

I keep thinking about a summer in Tahoe, but my DS1 is really sensitive to bites; I'm next in sensitivity.  He is the kind of kid who'd be in a big group of people, all with Deet or other repellant on them, and end up the only one with bites somewhere on his body.  One year he returned from a nature day camp with bites all over his face/eye lids -- places where I didn't feel comfortable applying Deet.  

Just before confirming an exchange, I searched online and found news articles about spraying in Tahoe, heavier presence during a particular year, etc.  Can someone who is sensitive/prone to mosquito bites and who has visited  in recent summers (late July to mid-August) tell me how bad it gets?  I'm thinking I may need to forget Tahoe in the summer.


----------



## Luanne

I am super sensitive to mosquitos (well any bug bites) as well.  We spent a summer vacation on Lake Tahoe when I was a child and I don't remember any issues back then.  My worst summer for bites was one we spent in Indiana.  I still remember my mom counting the number of bites on my legs alone and it was over 200!


----------



## daventrina

Heaven't really had a problem in July and August on the east side of the Lake.
The West side lakes and streams can have so many that a white shirt turns gray.


----------



## Amy

Luanne said:


> I still remember my mom counting the number of bites on my legs alone and it was over 200!



OMG I can't even imagine that number of bites!  You poor thing.


----------



## Amy

daventrina said:


> Heaven't really had a problem in July and August on the east side of the Lake.
> The East side can have so many that a white shirt turns gray.



Did you mean to say "east side" twice?  We'd plan to stay in South Lake Tahoe if that matters.


----------



## artringwald

We were in South Tahoe in August and I don't remember any mosquitos. We took a walk down by the beach after dark without getting bitten, something you just can't do in Minnesota in August.


----------



## daventrina

Amy said:


> Did you mean to say "east side" twice?  We'd plan to stay in South Lake Tahoe if that matters.



Oops... Fixed it. East (and south) good ... West mosquitoes. North... haven't had a problem.


----------



## Phill12

This is the first time I can remember someone asking this question about Lake Tahoe! I have been going to Lake Tahoe about fifty of my sixty five years as I lived in Reno back in the fifties and can not think of one bite. 

 We have owned at the Ridge for many years and go most July 4th weeks and sometimes in May/Aug. 

 PHILL12


----------



## Amy

Phill12 said:


> This is the first time I can remember someone asking this question about Lake Tahoe! I have been going to Lake Tahoe about fifty of my sixty five years as I lived in Reno back in the fifties and can not think of one bite.
> 
> We have owned at the Ridge for many years and go most July 4th weeks and sometimes in May/Aug.
> 
> PHILL12



I think of mosquitos all the time during the summer months as DS1 and I are mosquito magnets (whereas DH and DS2 rarely consider them as they often get no bites at all even when we can see mosquitos flying around.   

Here are the articles that I found re Tahoe and mosquitos -- but one is outdated and the second doesn't really say how prevalent during late summer hence this thread:  spraying in summer 2010; birds confirmed with West Nile virus and warning re mosquito bites summer 2012.


----------



## Amy

daventrina said:


> Oops... Fixed it. East (and south) good ... West mosquitoes. North... haven't had a problem.



Good to know the location can make a difference, thanks.


----------



## Passepartout

Since you really need standing water to have mosquitoes, unless there has been fairly significant rain within a week or so, the interior West won't have many mosquitoes. They don't need much- it is said that by far the largest source of mosquitoes is discarded tires! Without rain, those small still places evaporate pretty quickly in the warmth of Summer. It's one of the reasons we live out here in the desert.


----------



## Rent_Share

Phill12 said:


> This is the first time I can remember someone asking this question about Lake Tahoe! I have been going to Lake Tahoe about fifty of my sixty five years as I lived in Reno back in the fifties and can not think of one bite.
> 
> We have owned at the Ridge for many years and go most July 4th weeks and sometimes in May/Aug.
> 
> PHILL12


 

35 of my 57 and don't remember being bit


----------



## bailey

Never experienced mosquitos in Lake Tahoe


----------



## Robert D

We spend 4 weeks every summer from mid July to mid August in South Tahoe and never had a problem.


----------



## daventrina

They seem to hide here... at Lilly Lake on the Rubicon Trail.




P7030338 by dntanderson, on Flickr

and they really liked Rubicon Springs....



P7030319 by dntanderson, on Flickr

Have never seen skiters so bad in Tahoe. We never take repellent, but the nice gal from Rubicon Express was wonderful and gave T some of hers. 

Stay in the west side and you should be ok.

Most folks don't get to where they are worst because the road is a little narrow... 



P7030314 by dntanderson, on Flickr

and rough...



P7030335 by dntanderson, on Flickr


----------



## JudyH

Cute, Daventrina.  This is what my DS does for fun and relaxation.  They did King of the Hammers in Calif.  this winter.


----------



## daventrina

Thx. 
Coming back up Cadillac Hill on this trip... A guy in his monster JEEP asked Trina... "You went down there in that?" "Yep ... Why?" Love our JEEP...

At the end of the afternoon ... we headed back to the timeshare for a shower and king crab buffet dinner at Caesars. The brave folks camped out a Rubicon Springs with the skeeters.


----------



## Amy

Great pics, thanks for sharing!  And thanks to all with replies.  Looks like it may not be a problem in the main areas that interest us.


----------



## litebrite

I got to Tahoe in the Summer every year! Never had a problem with mosquitoes. I can"t even think of a time where I got a bite!


----------



## Rent_Share

litebrite said:


> I got to Tahoe in the Summer every year! Never had a problem with mosquitoes. I can"t even think of a time where I got a bite!


 

Times Two also


----------

