Are the mosquitos really bad in Finland?

niceguy40 · Post by **niceguy40** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 1:35 am

Are the mosquitos really bad in Finland? How bad are we talking? I guess I'm somewhat use to them, so it's not too big of a deal. But if I live beside a lake in the summer can you go outside without getting swarmed? Or is getting swarmed pretty normal in Finland? (this is a serious question as I'm trying to find out all I can as I'm seriously thinking of moving there.)

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Beep_Boop · Post by **Beep_Boop** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 1:46 am

If you go to the countryside (lake, cottage, the whole summer thing), you will be eaten by mosquitos. There's just no way around it. You can try sprays, burning sticks, lotions, or whatever. Nothing will fully work.

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 7:59 am

depends, depends depends.
Normally mosquito are bad during a couple of weeks in the beginning of summer. The rest of the time they are a small nuisance. Forests are worse than open areas.
In general I would say it is not much of a problem. And if you live here you'll become immune to their bites.

FinnGuyHelsinki · Post by **FinnGuyHelsinki** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 8:02 am

rinso wrote:And if you live here you'll become immune to their bites.

Well, one becomes "immune" similarly as one does to freezing cold or blistering hot weather, i.e. learns to tolerate it as there's no other way around it, 99% of the people will want to wear protective (long sleeved shirts/jackets and long legged trousers,... made of material not easily penetrated) clothing when there are plenty of mosquitoes around. There's a HUGE variation in the amount of mosquitoes depending on the location, the more swampy/marshy the terrain and the less windy it is, the more mosquitoes there will be. In city centers near big lakes or the sea mosquitoes are almost non-existent, whereas certain times during the summer in Lapland it's a total inferno.

rinso · Post by **rinso** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 11:28 am

Well, one becomes "immune" similarly as one does to freezing cold or blistering hot weather, i.e. learns to tolerate it

No immune as in no itching from bites. I know I've been bitten because I felt the sting. But afterwards there is no mark and no itching. Maybe I'm lucky but I also hardly see any of the villagers with marks.
Mosquitoes zooming around your head remains irritant tho.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 11:46 am

They are not a problem in the city. Out in the countryside they can be annoying, especially in the evening after a sauna but there are repellants available.

Personally I am OK with mosquitoes (the bites don't bother me either) but I HATE/LOATHE/DETEST elk flies with a vengeance.

Oho · Post by **Oho** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 11:51 am

niceguy40 wrote:Are the mosquitos really bad in Finland?

No unless you are allergic to mosquitoes. They are annoying, especially if you want to trek in the nature and feel like stopping to read map or to pick berries or collect mushrooms, which is bloody hard with constant buzzing, but they are not really bad as they do not transmit malaria, at least not yet.

Oho · Post by **Oho** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 11:55 am

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 12:28 pm

Oho wrote:
niceguy40 wrote:Are the mosquitos really bad in Finland?
No unless you are allergic to mosquitoes. The are annoying, especially if you want to move in the nature and need to stop read map or to pick berries or collect mushrooms, which is bloody hard with constant buzzing, but they are not really bad as they do not transmit malaria, at least not yet.

Ticks can be bad though https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyme_disease and don't forget deer flies https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipoptena_cervi

Kössi K · Post by **Kössi K** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 12:46 pm

Rosamunda: Personally I am OK with mosquitoes (the bites don't bother me either) but I HATE/LOATHE/DETEST elk flies with a vengeance.

I whole-heartedly agree! Elk flies are the worst!

I'm slightly allergic to mozzies but they're seriously not that bad. This year has been quote tolerable on the west coast, even in the forests.

And honestly, my Aussie husband laughs openly at the local 'horrible insects' here, like the wasps, mozzies or especially spiders that I loathe (and scream at..)! . "What do you mean those spiders don't even bite??" "awww that one is so cute, it's like a mini-spider!"

So everything is relative.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 1:12 pm

Kössi K wrote:"What do you mean those spiders don't even bite??" "awww that one is so cute, it's like a mini-spider!"
So everything is relative.

sinikala · Post by **sinikala** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 2:14 pm

niceguy40 wrote:Are the mosquitos really bad in Finland? How bad are we talking? I guess I'm somewhat use to them, so it's not too big of a deal.

Compared to where?

I learned my lesson the second Autumn I was here ... berry picking wearing a long sleeve shirt, no coat as it was really warm.
Saw a couple of mozzies having a go at my shirt sleeves and the front of my shirt ... dispatched / squished them in short order.
Shirt got a bit sweaty and prickly on my back ... when I had a shower later that night my wife counted around 50 mosquito bites, they had bitten straight through the shirt. I've visited plenty of countries and never had anything like that elsewhere, so I'd say Finnish mosquitoes are the worst in the world.

"Off!" is the popular repellent here.
http://www.off.com/en-US/Pages/default.aspx
The aerosol version is the most effective, lasts about 20 minutes - the volatile active components seem to have evaporated by then and you have to re-apply.

Vital to spray onto your thighs when playing football in the autumn. Also noticed that mozzies go right through football socks, so I learned to spray the backs of my football socks, which wouldn't be immediately obvious. I also spray it onto my hair, neck especially the back of the neck and with eyes tight closed onto my face.

Oddly with so many mozzies, Finnish pharmacies don't have anything non-prescription which is as good as Anthisan for treating bites - I tried a few - so I tend to pick up in the UK http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel-healt ... cream.html

AldenG · Post by **AldenG** » Fri Sep 18, 2015 4:32 pm

The species I've been "bitten" by in Finland have really wimpy bites compared to all the North American mosquitoes I've ever encountered. The Finnish bites fade in hours (if that long), the North American ones in days.

Piet · Post by **Piet** » Wed Sep 23, 2015 12:01 am

AldenG wrote:The species I've been "bitten" by in Finland have really wimpy bites compared to all the North American mosquitoes I've ever encountered. The Finnish bites fade in hours (if that long), the North American ones in days.

Weird, with me it is the other way around and the Finnish ones really really love my blood, the ¤%&""#¤ vampires.

But... the only thing that actually really works is the Bug zapper lamp for inside.. and for outside use the repellent spray, but use the concentrated one 500mg/g solution, the mild ones do not work...(should be at least above 250mg/g) and reapply after 2 hours, don't trust the mentioning of 8 hours on the package. Make sure you have a big tube of Hydrocortison 2,5% or Bemetson 0,1% in your pocket and apply right after being bitten. Than you will survive.

Kössi K · Post by **Kössi K** » Wed Sep 23, 2015 12:49 am

Oh yeah, and Etono is also a good little stick for mozzie bites. And for many people, taking some antihistamines helps - in advance. Some mosquitoes apparently just hate that drug and leave you alone. I've tested that myself, although I don't know how long you should have been taking those allergy meds, as I'm on them during summers most of the time anyway. But some hikers in Lapland swear by that, too.

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