I read somwhere it is the lack of still water,
Bats, dragonflys, pine trees, smoke, and tourists are all great possibilities. But as any one thought of the fact that mosquitos have problems entering the park because of the complicated collection system posted at the campground entrance. The self-registration application requirements, filling out the fee collection envelope and inserting the required payment into the envelope, and depositing the envelope in the securitycontainer at the registration station is too confusing for them. They have a hard time figuring out if they started 50 miles away from the park.
Most mosquitos will travel around the park and hitch a ride with the dogs that are being shuttle. As long as we have this government bureaucracy on allowing over nights stays in the GSNP we will not find any mosquitoes in the park. Now if we could do something about the Boy Scouts.
No, they cannot get back-country reservations.
SGT Rock
http://hikinghq.net
My 2008 Trail Journal of the BMT/AT
BMT Thru-Hikers' Guide
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NO SNIVELING
Doesn't explain the skeeters from Mass to Maine. Although admittedly black flies I believe are a bigger problem for us.Originally Posted by RadioFreq
Perhaps it is an over-abundance of very funky smelling thru hikers.
So funky that even the mosquitoes turn up their noses.
I'm moving to the Smokies...
Do one thing everyday...that makes you happy...
I don't recall there being any in Dolly Sodds. I was told that it was due to all the tanic acid in the water from the rhododendrons.
which is also why the water in Red Creek is red
One reason may be that there has been very little wet weather in the State of Tennessee for the last 2 years. Also the State dropsLady Bugs anywhere there are a large number of pine trees and mosquitos . The lady bugs are introduced by droping them into the tree tops by plane in early spring.The lady bugs are suposed to control the pine beatles and the mosquitos. (But what do I know)
no see ums
There may be no mosquitoes but the no see ums can eat you up also. and that the Smokys have a number of.
BEAS
BEAS
"Maintain a Rigid State of Maximum Flexibility"
From what I have learned from flyfishers in the Smokies is that there are not a lot of bug hatches in the park due to the acidity of the water. I think the only significant hatch to speak of is on Abrams Ck. This may be due to the past logging practices that scoured the earth and changed the ph of the water. I have wondered the same thing myself. There are still those pesky little gnats that can bug you but at least they don't bite. They just add protein to your meals!
hmmm, yep, its the whole region alright. I've been on the trail up further than than tn/nc, are there any mosquitoes as you go north?
Come visit my website: https://www.youtube.com/user/maxpatch67
oops, that supposed to be I have NOT been further up north than tn/nc. We're not getting a whole lot solved here, but ya'll * crack'n me up!
Come visit my website: https://www.youtube.com/user/maxpatch67
Interesting thread. I went on a trip to the GSMNP in October of last year and between Clingmans Dome and Mt. Collins shelter I was surrounded by mosquitoes. When on the trail and in the sunlight they were all over me. As soon as I went into the shade, they disappeared. I didn't have any problems with mosquitoes except that area.
I had that problem with gnats, no mosquitoes
The trail was here before we arrived, and it will still be here when we are gone...enjoy it now, and preserve it for others that come after us
Is there standing water on the summit or marshy area where rainwater becomes stagnant ?
Getting lost is a way to find yourself.
I didn't notice any standing water. Most of the mosquitoes were from Collins Gap to near Mt. Collins Shelter. The temperature the night before was in the 30's,according to a ridge runner. I was surprised to see so many mosquitoes. (And disappointed to be their blood donor.)
Im not sure where you are hiking during the summer months in the park, but I have had to use repellent on hikes around along the lake on a regular basis during the summer.
They get their fair share in Cades Cove too.
On other trails, I dont see many. That may be due to the cooler temps and high humidity. The rapid water and cascades create a sort of air conditioning affect under the canopy.
When at higher elevations, I would tend to agree with the fact that there isnt much standing water for them to breed in.
There may be some truth to the one post that suggested body odor might have something to do with it. I wasnt bothered too much by mosquitoes when I thru hiked. I was told that there are some body odors that naturally detract mosquitoes. Not sure if it is the testerone levels or endorphins that might be kicking in. It might have something to do with one's diet as well.. I know that if you eat a lot of garlic or onions regularly, I have been told that there are some gnats and flies that detect the odor oozing from your pores and will not bother you. Not sure how scientifically true that is. I havent tested the theory personally.
On our thru the mosquitoes, gnats, and anything else that crawled or flied showed no mercy on us, and let me tell you we were ripe 10 days out. And we had garlic with dinner almost every night. I would say that at our dirtiest we were bothered by them even more. And we were both bothered by them equally, so I couldn't imagine it being testosterone levels. But you never no, maybe we are just an exception.
Exactly. TVA dams covered most standing water in east Tennessee, and damned-up water isn't "still water." So, there are far fewer mosquito larvae.
Just try living in Memphis (as I did) to learn the difference. There is no comparison!
RainMan
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[I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35
[url]www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker[/url]
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This was more complicated than I expected
I've used the Internet to find info since Gopher was the best search function. Usually, grit and Google{*} allow me to locate a good URL to answer questions like this. However, the question of why certain places have mosquitoes and others don't is apparently a very complicated issue. The best URL I could find was
http://www.climas.arizona.edu/resear...ackground.html
where we learn stuff like
"The life cycle of a mosquito is sensitive to variations and changes in weather and climate conditions. Ae. aegypti lays her eggs ... The eggs will only hatch into larvae when additional water is added to the container and the eggs are re-submerged. ... container must hold water for at least three days to support mosquito development. ... Once hatched, the maturation of the larvae to a pupa and then an adult mosquito is dependent upon a variety of environmental factors, including temperature. Mosquitoes are cold blooded, meaning that their body temperature is similar to the surrounding environment. In the Southwest, high summer temperatures will shorten a mosquito’s life; prolonged below-freezing temperatures will kill the insect. In tandem with weather, a complex set of environmental and social characteristics will influence the abundance of a mosquito population in any given year and location."
It would seem there is no simple answer to this question.
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