Mosquito problem: On a recent trip to Alaska, I really could not get mosquitoes out of the way to take photos. Yet I have seen plenty of photos from the same locations (on the Tundra)...

lenben Loc: Seattle

On a recent trip to Alaska, I really could not get mosquitoes out of the way to take photos. Yet I have seen plenty of photos from the same locations (on the Tundra) which do not have these pests in the way. How do they do that? Any thoughts?

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Mosquito repellant? Time of year? Time of day? Wind?

lenben Loc: Seattle

Mosquito repellant does not stop these critters from flying around the front of your camera. Wind can help if you are lucky enough to get that help. In Alaska, the mosquitos are there as long as there is light. I prefer not to go to Alaska in the winter.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

Hmmm - I was thinking of a mosquito barrier or mosquito fogging to clear the area of them - I use natural stuff - pure garlic oil in a spray and that clears the yard of the little guys - doesn't kill them, just keeps them away, and it doesn't bother the other insects... Also - it's people/pet safe... We camp quite a bit and check with the park rangers about spraying and so far, have not been stopped from using the natural oil - we don't try to use chemical sprays as that will eliminate all the insects and that is not a good thing... Not sure what's allowed up there, would have to check with the park rangers (and they might have some suggestions too)...

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

If you use a really slow shutter speed (maybe with a ND filter) their movement will help to make them invisible.

If you use a large aperture they will be out of focus.

If you put your camera on a tripod and take a burst of photos you can put them into PS layers and just erase a mosquito from the top layer. Hopefully there won't be another mosquito at the same spot in the layer below it. If so, you can erase the mosquito on that layer and depend on the layer below that.........

Alaska can be beautiful in the winter. Yes, it gets chilly, but not all that bad (depending on where you are in Alaska). There have been times during the winter when Anchorage has been warmer than Boston. And it does get hot in the summer. Personally I prefer cold since you can always put on more clothes when it's cold, but when it's hot there's a limit to how much you can take off. The only problem with winter is that the sun never gets very high above the horizon (assuming you're below the arctic circle). I was in Fairbanks one February and the sun came up about 10 and went down about 2pm.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I experienced mosquitoes in Maine, and I would want them to an bigger or thicker. Good luck!

pmorin Loc: Huntington Beach, Palm Springs

lenben wrote:

On a recent trip to Alaska, I really could not get mosquitoes out of the way to take photos. Yet I have seen plenty of photos from the same locations (on the Tundra) which do not have these pests in the way. How do they do that? Any thoughts?

We were just up in the interior on the Tundra in the Denali Preserve and the little devils were really thick. Everyone was using mosquito face nets to keep them off the eyes and from going up the nose. Everyone but us that is. We had been using a repellent called Bite Blocker that works really well. the critters would hover around us, but not land and bite. I applied it generously to my hands and it kept the front of my camera clear so that there were no distortions from them. The repellant is for sale on Amazon at:

https://www.amazon.com/Bite-Blocker-Insect-Repellent-Waterproof/dp/B000VG5K76/ref=pd_bxgy_86_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000VG5K76&pd_rd_r=2c062ad6-a631-11e8-bc7c-f78a6db3930a&pd_rd_w=cTcQs&pd_rd_wg=GzeVu&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=7ca3846a-7fcf-4568-9727-1bc2d7b4d5e0&pf_rd_r=8R31QF75JDB2G6X20MS4&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=8R31QF75JDB2G6X20MS4&dpID=416xhQwosAL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

Hope this helps you.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

lenben wrote:

Mosquito repellant does not stop these critters from flying around the front of your camera. Wind can help if you are lucky enough to get that help. In Alaska, the mosquitos are there as long as there is light. I prefer not to go to Alaska in the winter.

The key is to go to Alaska in late September, early October, right before the end of the season. When the fire weed blooms, the 'skeeters are gone.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

Shellback wrote:

Hmmm - I was thinking of a mosquito barrier or mos... (show quote)

You ever been to Alaska in 'skeeter season? They'd look at garlic oil like a seasoning.

Apaflo Loc: Anchorage, Alaska

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

The key is to go to Alaska in late September, early October, right before the end of the season. When the fire weed blooms, the 'skeeters are gone.

Or late spring and very early summer, before the bugs are out.

The key is the temperature, though wind can be helpful too. If it is 45F there won't be mosquitos, but at above 60F there will be. It depends a little bit on exactly where you are, but those temps are a good guide for hordes of mosquitos on tundra.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

You ever been to Alaska in 'skeeter season? They'd look at garlic oil like a seasoning.

Yep - on the great island of Adak - before I knew about garlic oil -

I've heard you won't see a mosquito in a garlic field and I've heard Gilroy, CA (garlic capitol) doesn't have mosquito problems, but since I don't live there I can't verify that...

All I know is that when I spray my yard (approx 2 acres) there are no mosquitos for a month or so (depends on the rain)... and Kansas has mosquitos that swarm like blackbirds at harvest...

Rongnongno Loc: FL

Live and let live does not seem to be important to some...

Non toxic repellents are the best, insecticides the worse, even in a backyard. You kill not only mosquitoes but most of the food chain that goes with it.

Multiple exposure and using PP as suggested works well - IF there is no motion from other sources.

Slower speed seems to be the best solution as the critters are reduced to ghosts. Note that slow speed means below 1/8 so a tripod is required. There is a recent thread Unknown spots on image that showed an image taken as 1/15... The pesky critters were visible.

alby Loc: very eastern pa.

Shellback wrote:

Yep - on the great island of Adak - before I knew about garlic oil -

I've heard you won't see a mosquito in a garlic field and I've heard Gilroy, CA (garlic capitol) doesn't have mosquito problems, but since I don't live there I can't verify that...

All I know is that when I spray my yard (approx 2 acres) there are no mosquitos for a month or so (depends on the rain)... and Kansas has mosquitos that swarm like blackbirds at harvest...

what spray do you use on your 2 acres??? garlic oil???.... thanks

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

I lived in Pittsburgh, PA in the '60s-'80s. We had no problems with mosquitoes there.
I have heard that, now that the steel mills have disappeared, the mosquitoes are returning.

Shellback Loc: North of Cheyenne Bottoms Wetlands - Kansas

alby wrote:

what spray do you use on your 2 acres??? garlic oil???.... thanks

Yep - called Mosquito Barrier - I mix 4oz / gal of water and apply liberally with a sprayer. You can also use with a fogger machine but I have no info on how effective that is...
Spray everything - yard/trees/patio/house/etc. for best results...