Scandinavia mosquitoes

AustinW · Jan 22, 2015

We are starting to properly plan an anticlockwise tour of Scandinavia for the summer. Unlike our other trips this one will include a lot of camping, BUT one of the first warnings I have come across is that most of the countryside is infested with mosquitoes from July to September. I HATE Mozzies and they like me in equal measure. Anne always reacts very badly to a bite coming out in big lumps that get infected. She got proper poorly from one in Spain a few years ago.

So, has anyone got direct experience of Mozzies in Sandinavia, are they everywhere in the countryside or is it only if you go to damp forested areas (everywhere in Scandinavia ??). Is the coast of Norway mozzie free? What about Iceland?

I don't want the trip to end up one of cowering inside the tent behind the mozzie nets.

http://youtu.be/n4xcwopO4Q8

phooey · Jan 22, 2015

On the strength of a single viewing of that clip CANCEL IMMEDIATELY and go elsewhere.

stolzy · Jan 22, 2015

My experience with mosquitoes is however. that more you get bitten, the less they bother you.

I used to react very badly with serious oedema and a flu-like reaction. Now I get bitten every day in the summer and they don't bother me at all.

Horse flies are another story.

AustinW · Jan 22, 2015

phooey said:
On the strength of a single viewing of that clip CANCEL IMMEDIATELY and go elsewhere.

......Is what we are thinking, but its a trip I have wanted to do since I was about 8.

AustinW · Jan 22, 2015

stolzy said:
My experience with mosquitoes is however. that more you get bitten, the less they bother you.

I used to react very badly with serious oedema and a flu-like reaction. Now I get bitten every day in the summer and they don't bother me at all.

Horse flies are another story.

When my wife gets bitten it nearly always results in a huge red, hot, lump forming with the bite "hole" ending up like a crater. Not good and with the attendant risk of it all getting infected. Me, I always get loads of bites which come red and itchy for about 24 hours. It's just that sitting out in an evening by the tent is not good when you are completely wrapped up and besieged by Mozzies.

walrus · Jan 22, 2015

Great big bastards. I won at least once:

stolzy · Jan 22, 2015

It may be you're not cut out for adventure motorcycling.

boxer · Jan 22, 2015

Been twice, end of July beginning of August both times.

From the fjords to the Lofoten islands.

Saw one mozzy. Killed it.

AustinW · Jan 22, 2015

stolzy said:
It may be you're not cut out for adventure motorcycling.

And opens a can of worms about what adventure motorcycling is. But yeah, probably not.

aRTy_Hexhead · Jan 22, 2015

Last year was very hot in Norway, even at Nordkapp, 29C.

Mozzies were NOT noticed when travelling and camping from the south of Norway to Nordkapp via the Lofotons.

However, on the return through the forests of northern Sweden and Finland, the mozzies were HORRENDOUS!!!!!
Even a quick stop for fuel during the day, they were on us within a matter of SECONDS.
Even had to stay in a Hytte that night it was so bad.

Otherwise the rest of Sweden (mid and south Stockholm/Malmo) and Denmark posed NO problems.

Note though, on a previous trip, taking in Westkapp, the most westerly point of mainland Norway, I encountered MIDGES that were as ferocious as the west of Scotland midge. Yuck!

But the the good point about camping in Norway is that at every campsite that I have stayed in had a 'Kitchen' so you could put up your tent and escape the worst of the weather and midges. Usually an electric hotplate and sink was the norm and you could get a cuppa and your meal cooked.

Pity campsites in this country didn't do this too. Would make camping in Britain so much more pleasurable. Especially in the west of Scotland!!

Farmboy · Jan 22, 2015

Stay on the west coast of Norway and you wont be bothered by Mozzies, Head in to Northern Sweden and you wont get out alive.

MattW · Jan 23, 2015

As above, it depends on whereabouts you're going and what time of year.

On the Norweigian coast we only saw a few but go near freshwater or wooded areas and gets worse. When we had a walk through an otherwise beautiful trail through a wood it was bloody awful (needed head nets to maintain sanity). However the worst by far was on a business trip to Finnish Lapland in the summer (we stayed in an out of season ski hotel in the middle of a forest) - the mossies were horrific to the point where it was impossible to walk in the open outside the hotel.

And the Scandinavian mossies make your average European Mossie look like midges.

siraulu · Jan 23, 2015

MattW said:
As above, it depends on whereabouts you're going and what time of year.

On the Norweigian coast we only saw a few but go near freshwater or wooded areas and gets worse. When we had a walk through an otherwise beautiful trail through a wood it was bloody awful (needed head nets to maintain sanity). However the worst by far was on a business trip to Finnish Lapland in the summer (we stayed in an out of season ski hotel in the middle of a forest) - the mossies were horrific to the point where it was impossible to walk in the open outside the hotel.

And the Scandinavian mossies make your average European Mossie look like midges.

In Finland, go to any shop and say "Pullo ohvia kiitos". Then you get this

Don't take this,

it's the power version but smells really bad

AustinW · Jan 23, 2015

Thanks for all the tips guys. We won't be doing much wild camping, mostly campsites and/or Hostels when the weather is shite. We have all summer so will be away 2-3months with a side trip to Iceland. The rough idea is to head east across Germany, Poland. North through Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland. Then meander South through Sweden and Norway to Denmark for the ferry to Iceland for a couple of weeks. Then home.

The Mozzies appear to be a possible problem in Finland and Sweden in particular but I guess anywhere in northern latitudes in trees and damp areas will harbour them. Deet and head nets will be on order. I think we are going anyway. We can always bug out (groan) if its too bad.

Madmountainman · Jan 23, 2015

My body doesn't like mozzies either but, i would like to visit Scandinavia in the next few years. Looks like it'll be a good job i'll have a wobbly box to hide in when i do go. Thanks for the heads up on how bad it is over there. :thumb2

MattW · Jan 23, 2015

Madmountainman said:
My body doesn't like mozzies either but, i would like to visit Scandinavia in the next few years. Looks like it'll be a good job i'll have a wobbly box to hide in when i do go. Thanks for the heads up on how bad it is over there.

Don't let it stop you.
The scenery in Scandinavia is stunning (the drive we did years ago north from Bergen to Narvik was stunning - your jaw dropped every time you rounded a corner). And the people are great - warm, friendly and helpful (which is a good job as their language is tricky!).

If you like a drink, hide lots in your wobbly box before you go

Antti · Jan 23, 2015

+1 for Off!

I don't think Last year was so bad with mozzies.. I visited at Kirkenes and drove troigh Finnish Lapland and dont remember that they hardly annoyed. Did a lot camping.

Lunepilot · Jan 23, 2015

Try Avon skin so soft. It worked for us in Africa no bites at all.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

gerry b · Jan 23, 2015

Yes I have also used Avon skin so soft and worked well for me, also you smell nice, ha ha. but buy it before you leave home. :clap

AustinW · Jan 23, 2015

In Africa we used aerosol fly spray to debug rooms before we slept in them and in any fly infested place we went to sit or eat in. Local stuff was very effective.

Scandinavia mosquitoes

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