bug questions (Anchorage, Petersburg, Moose Pass: house, rent, travel)

[wannabetraveler]

I apologize if this question was already answered, but are the bugs around all year or is there some relief in the winter? I can deal with a lot of things but bugs are something I would rather not have to deal with 12 months out of the year. I am planning to move to alaska as soon as possible and am looking for the specifics on the bug situation. Any information anyone can give me would be appreciated

[Metlakatla]

Alaska is a huge state and we can't make generalizations about insects here.

[Tressa]

Originally Posted by wannabetraveler

I apologize if this question was already answered, but are the bugs around all year or is there some relief in the winter? I can deal with a lot of things but bugs are something I would rather not have to deal with 12 months out of the year. I am planning to move to alaska as soon as possible and am looking for the specifics on the bug situation. Any information anyone can give me would be appreciated

Bugs tend to disapear come winter, too cold for their survival. Roaches don't last in Alaska in the winter months either (in most cases), roaches are not a huge issue at all but they tend to come up with the traveles and die off come winter time. Mosquitos are fairly bad through the summer months normally June - September, different varieties later into the summer heading into fall and they are white socks and they can leave a nasty mosquito bite and some folks can have a bad reaction to them. My mother in law swells up big time when she is stung by one. Spiders are a nuisance mainly again in the summer months. We don't have trouble with flies like the lower 48's but we do have them, hornets are a problem and some years they are very bad, this year they are medium.

Most of the challenges in Alaska such as critters and bugs are minimal and mainly in the summer, we do have a few brown recluse up here but haven't heard of many bites. We have an abundance of daddy long legs. As far as the critters up here you can see them coming from a far as long as your not in the deep woods.

They sell bug bombs that work great on spiders up here, but you have to stay away from your home for a minimum of 8 hours once you use one.

[DannyL]

I haven't seen a roach or waterbug since I moved here. Only seen 2 mosquitos, one got inside, and 2 spiders. Both I managed to send both to the after life with great manly response.

[pgvicar]

...I'd be more worried about the crystal meth bugs !!!

[Tressa]

Originally Posted by DannyL

I haven't seen a roach or waterbug since I moved here. Only seen 2 mosquitos, one got inside, and 2 spiders. Both I managed to send both to the after life with great manly response.

DannyL you need to go outside more
I know that Juneau is further south than Anchorage but I visited Petersburg some years back and they too have mosquitos, and abundance of them in the woods. Never had seen a waterbug not even sure what they would look like. But have seen small tiny roaches few and far between. Spiders in area's are big time happening thing there agin not poisonness ones just 8 legged creatures.

[zatchery]

Speaking of bugs (especially the brown recluse), are they/many present in Juneau?

[Tressa]

Originally Posted by zatchery

Speaking of bugs (especially the brown recluse), are they/many present in Juneau?

Not sure about Juneau but I do know that my cousin in Peterburg was bit 3 years back, fortunately they were able to take care of it before it too much damage.

[Rance]

I have some water bugs in my pond in the yard. Big and black. They don't do much. Just surface and dive. My area has been ideal this summer with very few mosquitos. It's been hot and dry the last 2 weeks so that may have some effect. I have lived here all my life and have yet to see a roach in Alaska. Once I cleared off all my moss/tundra the hornets disapeared. I still get honey bee's on the flowers but they are quite welcome at my house.
My biggest problem on the peninsula is the carpenter ants. They just won't quit. I knocked the heck out of them last year...but I'm still seeing a few around the house so I dump some white powder Antbegone stuff every couple weeks in hopes of killing them off. I really have no spider problems. I do get one or two in the house but I leave them alone to ambush any outside bugs that get indoors. I do have lot's of daddy longlegs in the yard...but I think they are there just eating on others...so I leave them alone.
Things always seem to get worse about mid-september...hunting season. For some reason bugs show up in the thousands when it comes time to cut up a moose in the woods. I've had to build a smudge fire next to my moose, just to keep whitesocks, no seeums and these big bad black flies that I swear take chunks out of you, far enough away to breath.

But all in all it has been a great summer in my area as far as bugs go. And come October...they all go away.

[Tressa]

True they tend to go away in the fall, have you ever had a rubber boat, we let the air out once down by our creek in Moose Pass we had to leave the area the mosquitos were all over it.