2011 Skeeter Reports

[East Side Hiker]

Oh be assured, the skeeters are going to come in full force now that the weather is heating up. When the shooting stars are in full bloom, those buggers will bloom too.

[Ozark Flip]

I am literally covered with skeeter bites. They bit through my shirt and head rag. I have many bites on the top of my head. I forgot to take my bug dope so I was totally at their mercey. I was in Yosemite fly fishing and the lady bug hatch is swarming during mid-day and the skeeters only bit me at dusk, but boy did they ever chow. This was a small fishable stream at about the 5K elevation.

[kpeter]

June 22-23 Kibbie Lake: Mosquitoes a 1.

There were a few, but none bit.

[DoyleWDonehoo]

June 22-23 Kibbie Lake: Mosquitoes a 1. There were a few, but none bit.

Hey, I think I met you on the trail with my novice backpacker bud! I was up to 7000 feet at Kibbie Ridge and at Kibbie Lake just before Kpeter, and yeah, really no mosquitoes to speak of. My bud (who just hates and attracts mosquitoes like a magnet) got two bites or so, but me: nothing. Just a few snow mosquitoes. All that should change soon. It was hot out there. Wasn't it Kpeter?

[kpeter]

Doyle, you know, when we met on the trail I thought I might have recognized you from your signature picture, but I thought "nah, what could be the odds?" You two gave some good advice about staying high from the outlet in to Kibbie. Yes it was very hot, and I imagine the mosquito bloom is due any day now.

[DoyleWDonehoo]

Kpeter, yes I recognized you from your sig pix and the fact you were there at near the same time. Nice ta meetcha.
It was hot, but still there were a few patches of snow along the trail and in the shade at the outlet. With all the swampy areas on and along the trail, I imagine the flying bloodsuckers will soon be bursting forth. 5000 feet seems to be getting hit, and the swarms will be traveling up-hill belatedly with the snow-line. I tend to avoid July backpacking, but this year August may be impacted.

[RoguePhotonic]

Kings Canyon has very mild mosquitoes

Paradise Valley has enough to be annoying but if your a full body dresser like me you don't need a head net or bug spray yet.

[East Side Hiker]

Due to the snow conditions, the mosquito situation is in its infancy in the high country. This will be a late mosquito year, apparently, but I have the feeling that as things heat up in the next 4 to 5 weeks (though this recent predicted rain may delay it), there will be a lot of discomfort at times.

Last year, on Aug 14, the mosquitoes were terrible at Woods Lake (elevation just about 8,350' without looking at the map).

But what's one going to do? They're part of the ecosystem...

[vsop4me]

We were up Green Lake and East Lake this past weekend, 24th-26th. No skeeters at either lake, but on the way down along Green Creek Trail, they are ferocious, following us most of the way down. With Green Lake completely melted and East still a week or two behind, I suspect the little buggers will be comin' out soon.

[Wandering Daisy]

Just back from Green Lake, East Lake, Summit Lake, West Lake. A few skeets at Green Lake, but a steady wind really kept them down. None at the higher lakes, but the wind was always blowing, so hard to tell. Flies and other little bugs (I think gnats) were thick at Green Lake as were ants. From previous reports of mosquitoes in this area, I came prepared, but was pleasently surprised.