Bugs???

[rbrand]

My wife has a show in a gallery in May. Afterwards we are tentatively thinking of heading north through northern BC and the Yukon. Then taking the ferry from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy and then mosey on home.
My question is: How are the bugs up there at the end of May and June?
In the 70's I was involved in an Archaeology dig on the central BC coast and the bugs ate us alive. My wife still has some of the scars to prove it. She does not want a repeat performance.

Thanks

Ross

[Paoli]

Everything about bugs in that area is blown out of proportion.
No big deal, and go on your trip.

[profdant139]

For whatever it's worth, we once did a bike tour from Anchorage to Denali to Glenallen to Valdez in late July/early August and had no problems with bugs. But that could have been an exceptional year.

[explorenorth]

Johnny G1 wrote:
The last 4 times we have been to the Yukon and Alaska, I could count the bug bite's on one hand, got 2 bite's this summer and we went all the way to the Arctic Circle. Also we carry bug dope but never even took it out of trailer this yr.

Finally somebody who knows the actual situation. Living in the Yukon for 27 years, I never use bug repellent. In the rare situations where bugs are bad (Meziadin Lake, BC, has always been bad when I've been there), I just make my outside activities short. Even up the Dempster (where we spend a fair bit of time), I have rarely been "bugged" to any annoying level.

[2gypsies1]

It depends on the weather. We crossed into Canada the third week of May and spent the summer in Alaska. Honestly, we had absolutely no problem with bugs except for a hike on a wooded trail along a river to a waterfall. They were bad there. The Alaska newspaper stated it was the hottest, driest year in a long time. Maybe you'll get luck!

[Seamutt]

Dryer sheets work great for getting plastered bugs off your rig. Dampen them then wipe. Best way I have found so far.

I wear bug suits outside and use an electric mosquito swatter inside the unit. The black flies tend to smoke with that swatter.

[agesilaus]

A quick google check:

Tripadvisor: "I have never seen as many mosquitos as I did along the Dempster Hwy - and I'm from Saskatchewan! We were there in July. August might be better, particularly late August when nights are cold enough to kill them off. If you have room for the gazebo, take it. We stayed at a campground along the Dempster where there was a screened-in cooking shelter. We would have been miserable without it. There were so many mosquitos that when we woke up in the morning, the tent's screen door was covered in them. Most people with RV's skip the sheltered campgrounds and park overnight in a windy roadside rest stop or gravel pit. Mosquitos weren't bad in either Whitehorse or Dawson City. "

Alaska Guides: "Mosquitoes are more than a nuisance in the summer in northern Alaska; they are a genuine problem. Be vigilant. Keep your windows rolled up, enter and exit the vehicle quickly and close the doors, or dozens of the little devils will enter in a minute. Don’t park near water for picnics or overnight, if possible. Beware of walking into the shade. Mosquitoes love the shade. Buy high-quality bug repellent and purchase mosquito coils, available in most general merchandise stores in Alaska. Burn a coil for 20 minutes while you are out of the vehicle; that will kill the mosquitoes. It doesn’t smell too good, though. Don’t become a mosquito dinette: wear a long-sleeved shirt and pants."

Dempster Hwy-Youtube

[Johnny_G1]

The last 4 times we have been to the Yukon and Alaska, I could count the bug bite's on one hand, got 2 bite's this summer and we went all the way to the Arctic Circle. Also we carry bug dope but never even took it out of trailer this yr.

[ksg5000]

Been 20+ years but my recollection is that June/July are bug months - not sure about May. S/B easy Google.

[rockylarson]

This got us thru Maines black fly season. Highly recommend in any buggy enviroment.

Original BugShirt Elite

[agesilaus]

Historically the mosquitoes in the Yukon were so bad that they were reputed to kill large animals and drive miners mad. Not sure if that is the current condition.