1

My late father's home was in Burnt Store Marina, literally next door to Cape Coral. Every home in Burnt Store has a "pool cage." Mosquitoes are the reason for that. I never noticed the little devils during daylight hours but between sunset and sunrise, you need to be careful to apply DEET if you go outside. Sadly, mosquitoes are as much a part of Florida as palm trees, flamingos, and sunny beaches. You do know that you don't have to take a shower in DEET, don't you? Putting the DEET on your clothing is just as effective. You only need to apply DEET to exposed skin.

Screens do not keep out "noseeums" but I never found them to be much of a problem. They can be annoying but I've never heard of them leaving a welt.

Do you have a medical problem with insect stings or bites? Be advised that there are fire ant infestations around Cape Coral as well. Pay attention if you are walking across lawns that you don’t step in a fire ant hill. You will realize your mistake quickly if you do regardless of whether you have an allergy.

It is unrealistic to go to South Florida and expect never to get a mosquito bite. In summer you can be bitten just about anywhere in the U. S. Is this a medical issue with you or a just comfort issue? Again, you may want to talk to a doctor before you go if it is the former. You can now buy combination sun block and mosquito repellant. As I am a redhead, I fear the sun far more than I fear mosquitoes. I think the combination of sun block and insect repellant is "a marriage made in Heaven,"

Have a great time.

2

Thanks, Zeldasdad. I know I'll get some bites, I always do, which is why I take the anti-histamine before I go, but some places are obviously worse than others and to minimise any potential problems I try to avoid those places. I just googled today and I saw posts which said the Cape Coral and Fort Myers area have particularly aggressive mosquitoes, which is what I was wondering about.

Thanks for the fire ants heads-up too! We did have fire ants in a house I rented in Orlando over ten years ago, they were in the utility room and I got a few bites before I realised what they were. An unforgettable experience! I didn't realise that about lawns though, so I appreciate that.

It is a medical issue, I'm allergic and get cellulitis infections and basically nasty oozing blisters the size of the palm of my hand, so it's fairly necessary to minimise the bites. We don't have any of the little suckers where I live so it's just a holiday issue. I use the sun block/mosquito repellant and I also use Jungle Formula.

Believe me, I know I sound neurotic, but it is pretty severe and I was nearly hospitalised in Hawaii. On the other hand, it's not fair on the rest of the family if we don't travel (although I do have a few places on my mosquito-lite list, like Rodney Bay in St. Lucia and Collioure in France, and we go back there a bit more often!).

Thanks again.

3

I don't know that Florida mosquitoes are particularly aggressive. Their numbers make them obnoxious and even dangerous in places like the Everglades. If you want "aggressive" mosquitoes, visit Alaska in summer.

4

That's good to know, thanks for that.

5

If you happen to be looking for really aggressive mosquitoes go to northern Ontario, Canada. I think there are the provential bird. But I would also assume that Alaska also has them in the giant economy size. But I would take a mosquitoes over a black fly, at least you can see the mosquitoe and it seems black flys have TEETH.

After reading your post I just had to check to see where you were from, I felt the UK, and its Ireland. When I saw the word "fortnight" I just knew. You seldom find that word used this side of the Atlantic, but more so in Canada.

6

Did you know it's only the females who bite (they need blood for their larvae!) If you don't want to keep plastering yourself with Deet, the best natural rememdy is Citronella, but you need to apply it every few hours as it wears off quite quickly and burning a candle or oil with it is effective. Also, Skin So Soft (an Avon product - first discovered by the American forces in Vietnam!) - they hate the smell - can't think how it ever got to be a beauty skin lotion, I'm sure Avon know it's mainly bought now as an anti-mozzie cream. You could also try taking Vit B1 at least 2 weeks before you go to a mozzie area, to build up in your system, the mozzies hate the smell. (You can also get similar smelling patches of it, though you do end up smelling a bit like you've had a bladder problem!). All these things are not very palatable to humans, but hey, it's better than scratching all the time and getting horrid red welts and scars for weeks later. For those, like me, who are always badly affected, an extra dose of Vit C & Quercetin, helps to decrease the histamine in your body.