Mosquitoes in Fairfax county (Arlington, Reston: houses, neighborhood, tornadoes)

[vishnu111]

I'm seriously considering not relocating to Fairfax county because I heard there is mosquito problem from May to Nov. That's a long time..
When I found this out, I was just completely depressed. I was ready
to sell me house here in Ca and move over there.
It is a good job opportunity in Fairfax too.

Am I exaggerating or overreacting?

I have a 6 year old and I don't want him to suffer.

We don't do much outdoor activities except going to the park to play.

I plan on moving to Reston or somewhere near Arlington.

I have no other issue with the east coast:
Love the snow (bring it on),
Tiny houses built in the turn of the century (I can deal with this),
Checking for Radon all the time (I guess I can deal with this too)...

But I can't deal with bugs, bug bites, etc.
Do the mosquitoes come in the house so they could bite at night
(this is like India)?

[kutra11]

Originally Posted by vishnu111

I'm seriously considering not relocating to Fairfax county because I heard there is mosquito problem from May to Nov. That's a long time..
When I found this out, I was just completely depressed.

Yikes! How will you handle the rampant dinosaurs that growl and run amuck from Dec to April?

Originally Posted by vishnu111

Do the mosquitoes come in the house so they could bite at night
(this is like India)?

Well, that's not really a problem in these areas. There are enough blood-sucking politicians around here who make sure the mosquitoes are kept at bay!

On a serious note, can you quote the source for all this information? I have never heard of people moving out of Fairfax county (or not wanting to move in) because of mosquitoes. There are enough jerks driving on Rt 66 who can make you want to kill yourself, but mosquitoes? No!!

[CapsChick]

I believe the source is the thread about NOVA summers, which somehow devolved into a discussion of mosquitoes and tornadoes. After living about 35 years in Fairfax I still didn't know either was such a major problem!

Yes, I get a few mosquito bites in the summer, but I don't bother with bug spray. I really and truly do not think Fairfax has a massive mosquito problem, but they certainly exist. Presumably that's why Off Clip-Ons were invented.

I cannot imagine this being a deterrent to moving there. It's not like you'll need a mosquito net or will be at risk for malaria.

[slduvall]

I agree..not a major problem. I moved here from FL where daughter couldn't play outside, she is a mosquito magnet. But not a problem here - at least not one that you can't do anything about. Take care of standing water, etc. My daughter goes camping, rides her bike in the later afternoon etc, sure she might get bit a little, but it doesn't stop her. She uses a clip on when she thinks about and I think it works.

Under no circumstances would it prevent us from moving here. And I hate bugs! Now you will have to worry about stink bugs ...but they don't bite.

[Alltheusernamesaretaken]

I've never had a mosquito problem.
The gnats, they are a different story!

There are so many warm-weather days where I simply cannot even work in the garden without first having wiped some Off! around my hairline and neck,
just to keep them at bay.
Often I find myself holding the hose, rake, whatever, in one hand and waving off the damned gnats with the other hand.

[spencgr]

mosquitoes - not so bad
gnats - pretty bad on hot, muggy days
stinkbugs - awful last year, but much better this year
ticks - horrible - you will always have to check yourself and your pets after walking in the woods or tall grass

All of these, though, are no comparison to the 17-year cicadas. Hang around the DC area for another 10 years and you will see a plague........

[michgc]

I don't think they are a big deal, especially if you are not outdoorsy. Generally, walking to the store or to your neighbors' houses, you will be fine. Hanging out in the evening for several minutes outside, they can get bad or going in a woodsy backyard to play, you would need spray.

I have three children, and we have a woodsy yard, go camping once or twice per season and walk around outside quite a bit during the day in the summer, and I don't think we have ever gone through a whole bottle of bug spray in a one season.

I would not let mosquitoes stop you from moving here.

[Caladium]

I almost never put on spray to walk to work. I put on spray before going hiking, even though I don't always end up needing it. I do need spray to work in one area of my garden that always seems to get 'em. By the way, I like the mosquito wipes better than the spray. I can carry one in my pocket, so if I need one I can quickly open it and apply. Then you put the used wipe under your hat (sounds silly, but works really well).

Regarding ticks, we haven't had a problem yet with any kids or pets. We try to avoid walking through tall grass and that seems to make the difference.

[CaliTerp07]

I think I started this.

I come from a place where mosquitoes are basically nonexistent. Compared to Santa Barbara, the mosquitoes here are horrid. Your frame of reference may be different.

I also think I'm a sucker (pun intended) for mosquitoes. They seem to be extra attracted to me for some reason. I can't walk across my lawn without getting a half dozen bites. My husband and I have a "game" in the summer, keeping a running total of skeeter bites on my legs. Usually I hover around 35-40 at any given time.

I'm not a camper, and not a back country hiker. My "hiking" is kept to places like great falls or lake accotink with wide, established trails, or sitting on the bench at the gravel dog park. 99% of my walks are just on the sidewalk through the neighborhood.

The ticks my dog picks up are from running through taller grasses in my neighbors' lawns if they don't mow every week, or from leaves in my yard if I don't rake them within a few days of them falling.

YMMV. Some people don't seem to be as bug attractive as I am. We had a gorgeous patio at our old house with a ceiling fan and a big table, but we never really ate out there because I'd be an itchy mess after sitting out there a couple minutes, even covered in Off and burning citronella with the bug zapper hanging from the tree. I never had a problem with more than the occasional mosquito in the house though--certainly no waking up in the morning with zillions of strange bites.

All that to say--yes, mosquitoes suck and I hate them, but if you don't have plans to do outdoorsy things anyway, it shouldn't be more than an annoyance. I WAS a huge outdoorsy person back home, so it bothers me more than it will probably bother you, but honestly it's more the weather than the bugs that keeps me inside here.

[ICS67]

Originally Posted by vishnu111

I'm seriously considering not relocating to Fairfax county because I heard there is mosquito problem from May to Nov. That's a long time..
When I found this out, I was just completely depressed. I was ready
to sell me house here in Ca and move over there.
It is a good job opportunity in Fairfax too.

Am I exaggerating or overreacting?

I have a 6 year old and I don't want him to suffer.

We don't do much outdoor activities except going to the park to play.

I plan on moving to Reston or somewhere near Arlington.

I have no other issue with the east coast:
Love the snow (bring it on),
Tiny houses built in the turn of the century (I can deal with this),
Checking for Radon all the time (I guess I can deal with this too)...

But I can't deal with bugs, bug bites, etc.
Do the mosquitoes come in the house so they could bite at night
(this is like India)?

From the responses here and in your other thread, it seems as if the intensity of the mosquito problem depends on where precisely in NoVa you live. I have no doubt that there are some areas where they're only a minor nuisance and others where they are a major problem. Use window screens to keep them out of your house and insect repellant to keep them off of you if you're going to be outside for any extended time, and you should be fine.

Still, I've lived in Africa, in South America, and in Southeast Asia, and I never had a mosquito problem like the one I do in NoVa. Seriously.