SummitPost.org

They were coming out in force in George Creek a week ago, but forecasted lows for the High Country is around 20F in many places. That ought to help wipe out much of the early crop of the buggers.

We have had a couple "Skeeters" here and there so far in the past week or so.

Biggest pests I have had in the past three weeks at 9k are the biting tiny Black Flies. Got ate up several times...fkr's.

As BBurd posted, freezing temps over night for the next couple of eves will definitely terminate many of the young larvae. Spoke to local Skeeter Control dude today, so far he has minimal catches in his many traps.

1000Pks wrote:I'm that age where I'm statistically vulnerable, and was even thinking to give up the outdoors forever. Aside from winter or late fall, say.

That's really awful! Isn't there any kind of bug spray, or something, that can save your hide from the darn things?

With any luck there will be a West Nile vaccine at some point, though it could be years ..

In the meantime, headnet and Deet for me Usually in the Sierra they are gone in most places by August.

I've been feeding the noseeums quite a bit this year. They are active in the sagebrush community of the Eastern Sierra right now. The numerous bites will itch like crazy until your skin gets tough and you don't notice anymore, unless you have a bad reaction with nausea. Use DEET to kill 'em or an oily concoction called Skin So Soft that seems to drown them.

The Mono Lake area is known for having the biggest noseeums around -- they're huge!

None in the Sonora Pass area last weekend (june 7). Water everywhere and warm temps, yet not a skeeter around. Pleasant surprise for sure.

squishy wrote:I spent the weekend in the big ditch and there were plenty

same experience on my end too

Just got back from a quick 12 mile round trip hike up to Hilton Lakes (7200-10k).... NOTHING! I have had some very rare sightings in the past week and my local Skeeter Guru is not catching all that many in his traps.

None at S Lake or Rock Ck in the past few weeks. Only insect bites that I've been getting are at the Tablelands and the Gorge, but I think they're midges and not mosquitoes.

I am off early in the morning to solo the Petit Griffon... will post a SKEETER report tomorrow eve upon my return.

I have been all over the sequoia, inyo, and toiyabe national forests in the last few weeks... there seem to be very few mosquitos this year, but I it is still early to tell for the highcountry

I have seen a lot of those small black flies. what are they, anyway? no-see-ums, chiggers, chuspes? does anybody know?

Went to the Cedar Grove area last weekend in Kings Canyon. Hiked up from Deer Cove trailhead to do Mt. Harrington and didn't see a single mosquito until I returned to my car on Sunday afternoon, which was a bit warmer. One of the bastards bit me in the ankle during post-hike stretching