1)Mosquitos? 2)warmer on land tour then cruise?

[oratheeexplorer]

1) For those of you who have been to Alaska this year, are the mosquitos bad?

 

2) Is it warmer on the land tour (Anchorage, Princess McKinley Lodge and Denali Lodge) than the ports on the cruise?

[Shmoo here]

1) For those of you who have been to Alaska this year, are the mosquitos bad?

 

2) Is it warmer on the land tour (Anchorage, Princess McKinley Lodge and Denali Lodge) than the ports on the cruise?

 

We did our cruise tour May 23-Jun 10.

 

1) There were mosquitos (not, by my definition, bad but there nontheless) in Fairbanks and Juneau. Probably other places, but I didn't notice.

 

2) We were only in Anchorage overnight, so I can't really say what the temperature was. Denali - welll, it was bright and sunny the day we arrived, miday. Rainy, snowy, and cold the next day. And, clear and a bit cool the day we left. In the ports for the cruise portion it was generally mid to high 50s with rain in Juneau and Glacier Bay (that day was colder).

 

:)

[snowbird1]

I was in recently there and yes there were a lot of Mosquito's in many places. Here is what I found interesting, around here in St. Louis they seem to love me but in Alaska while I saw them everywhere flying around in my face they never seemed to bite me however I did have long pants and shirts on then because it was cool. They easily could have bitten me on the neck, face or any exposed skin but did not. Just take something with a high percentage of DEET.

 

As for temps, yes it is warmer inland this time of year. In ports around water the cold water tends to keep temps lower whereas inland the sun heats things up quick and it cools off quick in the eve. It can get very warm or hot in Fairbanks.

[oratheeexplorer]

I was in recently there and yes there were a lot of Mosquito's in many places. Here is what I found interesting, around here in St. Louis they seem to love me but in Alaska while I saw them everywhere flying around in my face they never seemed to bite me however I did have long pants and shirts on then because it was cool. They easily could have bitten me on the neck, face or any exposed skin but did not. Just take something with a high percentage of DEET.

 

As for temps, yes it is warmer inland this time of year. In ports around water the cold water tends to keep temps lower whereas inland the sun heats things up quick and it cools off quick in the eve. It can get very warm or hot in Fairbanks.

 

We live about 100 miles south of Chicago, and the mosquitos love me too. Hope the ones in Alaska stay away! I did buy a Repel bug repellant pump bottle that has 40% deet, so it will be in the backpack with us daily!

 

Thanks for the info!

[AKman2495]

Not to put a damper on anything, but there was a report in the Daily News that this year has been particularly bad for mosquitos.....

 

 

http://www.adn.com/2012/06/26/2521287/blood-sucking-skeeters-driving.html

[oratheeexplorer]

Not to put a damper on anything, but there was a report in the Daily News that this year has been particularly bad for mosquitos.....

 

 

http://www.adn.com/2012/06/26/2521287/blood-sucking-skeeters-driving.html

 

thanks for the warning.......hope they don't like Illinois blood!

We won't be there until July 31st for 11 days.....I wonder if it will be as bad then.....

[donaldsc]

We live about 100 miles south of Chicago, and the mosquitos love me too. Hope the ones in Alaska stay away! I did buy a Repel bug repellant pump bottle that has 40% deet, so it will be in the backpack with us daily!

 

Thanks for the info!

 

That will just attract them according to people I talked to last summer in AK. You want at least 100% deet and maybe higher if possible.

 

DON

[oratheeexplorer]

That will just attract them according to people I talked to last summer in AK. You want at least 100% deet and maybe higher if possible.

 

DON

 

gosh, I'm skeptical about using 40% just because it can't be good for you if you get it on your skin, etc......where in the world do you find 100% deet?

[Randyp1234]

You want at least 100% deet and maybe higher if possible.

 

DON

 

How do you get higher than 100%

[paddingtonbear]

I don't know if this is the same in Alaska but in new Zealand the sand flies (worse bug than mosquitoes as bite lasts twice as long) aren't used to Australian bug spray so it is more effective than NZ bought stuff that the sand flies are used to. Might be worth trying whatever your local mosquito repellant is and checking it isn't regularly used in AK.

[mytime53]

I personally never use higher than 25%...basically, the higher the %, the longer it lasts. If you need more, just reapply. Very few tourists find themselves in a position to need 100% DEET.

[Northern Aurora]

A number of visitors are surprised at how hot Fairbanks can be in the summer. But while Denali is only a two hour drive south, the weather in Fairbanks will be different than in Denali. Expect Denali to be cooler and wetter than Fairbanks. The canyon area around "Glitter Gulch" can also be quite windy.

[donaldsc]

How do you get higher than 100%

 

It was a joke. They do sell 100% deet in many places in AK and it does work. It can create problems w some clothing, however.

 

http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/insect+repellent.html

 

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howthingswork/a/aa042703a.htm

 

DON

[Host Jazzbeau]

How do you get higher than 100%

 

Maybe a reference to "Spinal Tap"? "My amp goes to 11!!!!!"

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Not to put a damper on anything, but there was a report in the Daily News that this year has been particularly bad for mosquitos.....

 

 

http://www.adn.com/2012/06/26/2521287/blood-sucking-skeeters-driving.html

 

I read that they die off by September. Is that generally true?

[AKman2495]

THey tends to die out near the end of August. Actually, On August 1st something interesting happens. It becomes fall. The season changes almost overnight. You will not notice it as much just coming up, by those of us who live here, know it well. Of course, it takes a while before winter starts, but by the time you leave, Laura, you will know what I am saying.

 

Mosquitos generally vanish by the end of August.

[oratheeexplorer]

THey tends to die out near the end of August. Actually, On August 1st something interesting happens. It becomes fall. The season changes almost overnight. You will not notice it as much just coming up, by those of us who live here, know it well. Of course, it takes a while before winter starts, but by the time you leave, Laura, you will know what I am saying.

 

Mosquitos generally vanish by the end of August.

 

So being there July 31st, getting on the ship August 4th heading to Vancouver, will it be getting cooler in temps than you have in July?

Someone posted on here that it was 80 when they were in Juneau recently.

We won't be in Fairbanks.....just Anchorage for a night, then McKinly Princess Lodge for 2 night, then Denali Wilderness Princess for 1 night, then the Princess train to Whittier....Aug. 4th southbound cruise to Vancouver.

[Randyp1234]

My wife and I have had very good luck with repellents containing Picaridin. It is much less annoying to the skin and you're also able to spray it on your clothes.

 

Randy

[april47]

THey tends to die out near the end of August. Actually, On August 1st something interesting happens. It becomes fall. The season changes almost overnight. You will not notice it as much just coming up, by those of us who live here, know it well. Of course, it takes a while before winter starts, but by the time you leave, Laura, you will know what I am saying.

 

Mosquitos generally vanish by the end of August.

 

 

My cruise leaves Aug 14 for 14 days and then I'm staying in Vancouver for 3 nights which means until Sept 1st. Do you mean that there I can expect temperatures to be lower by then? How much lower?

[born2cruize]

1) For those of you who have been to Alaska this year, are the mosquitos bad?

 

2) Is it warmer on the land tour (Anchorage, Princess McKinley Lodge and Denali Lodge) than the ports on the cruise?

 

Currently on the Coral Princess, arriving in Whittier tomorrow based on my Weather Channel app it shows the weather should be warmer when we head to Denali tomorrow. Weather this week has been cool, rainy and windy.

[tee_harbor]

Someone posted on here that it was 80 when they were in Juneau recently.

 

I cringe every time we have one of those days and know the tourists in town that day are going to rush home and tell everyone how great the weather is, how they wore shorts, on and on. I'm happy for them--I've been thrilled that both of my one day visiting groups the summer got all day sun and warm temps.

 

Please accept what the normal averages are for Alaska and check to see how each summer is playing out. Some are warm and hot, some are like this one, below average temps and above average rain in SE and just be grateful if you dodge that bullet.

 

Something tells me the fall is going to be even wetter and colder. :( I'd really like to be wrong...

[MSMcDuffy]

We were in Anchorage & Seward last week and I only noticed mosquitoes during our morning walk at Exit Glacier. They were flying all around us and very irritating at times but the funny thing is that I didn't see any bites on my skin (they usually love me).

 

As mentioned about the weather in AK, you just never know what you're going to get. Our 4 days on land before our cruise were absolutely gorgeous...warm & sunny. We were even hot on our ride from Seward to Whittier. Then on our cruise that ended yesterday, it was pretty yucky weather the whole time. It sounds like most everywhere in AK enjoyed great weather 8-12 days ago as I heard people who did the Northbound cruise say that they had beautiful weather in the ports, too.

[mlmalone3]

We just spent a few days in the Denali Area and yes, mosquitos were there...they love my husband! Also, just a heads up, the Cottonwood (according to our Talkeetna Taxi pilot) is blowing up there and it is fierce in Talkeetna. We were taking our Claritin to help with that. I kept sneezing and my nose was dripping a bit, and we figured out what it was. Talkeetna actually had so much it looked like snow mounded up on the side of the road...and it was flying everywhere. We wore long sleeves most of the time, jackets some if the breeze picked up or if the rains fell. But when the sun was shining, it was be really pleasant. Boarding the Alaska RR this morning to Whittier where the Coral Princess awaits.

[nrbrandt]

We were there June 19th-26th for the land portion of our cruise and the mosquitoes were very very thick and I got bit a lot. Especially in Denali and Anchorage/Girdwood. I wasn't out as much in Fairbanks, but they were bad in the Yukon too. Definitely take some repellant just for good measure.

 

It was cool enough for a sweatshirt in Anchorage but low 80s by the time we hit Denali and Fairbanks. I think we caught some really great weather, but I think it also tends to be warmer and drier the further you get into the state. It was cool/rainy/overcast all 4 days of our cruise from Skagway to Vancouver. Probably in the upper 40s and lower 50s I'd guess.