Mt Whitney Zone Forums General Discussion HST Recent Mosquito Pressure

Greetings all - first time posting, new to forum.
Been lurking for several months, since planning this summer's adventures.

Leaving SEKI for Mt. Whitney on HST on 7/30/2015 and am curious about mosquito pressure currently on trail.
The extremely wet July in the Sierra has me questioning how much DEET, netting, etc. I may need for 7 days.
Pack with bear can/food/fuel/water = 31.5 lbs., ...

Reports from June probably aren't too helpful because of our near-record wet July.

Thanks in advance!

I would always take the high concentration repellent (nearly 100% DEET) to keep weight to a minimum. Just be careful how you carry it -- it removed some paint from my camera once because I handled the camera right after applying the stuff. I now carry the container inside ziploc bags, and wash the palms of my hands after using it.

My defense against mossies is a head net, long pants, and a long sleeve shirt (sometimes with a spritz of deet to the shirt if they can bite through). I apply deet only as lightly as possible and as necessary.

If you are prepared for them, mosquitoes won't bother your trip.

I think I may have asked this before - where can you buy the "nearly 100% DEET" repellent?

Enter DEET in the search line at REI.com
Here's one they have: Sawyer Jungle Juice 100 Pump Spray - 98 Percent DEET, 2 oz.

                             

Sawyer also makes Maxi Deet, which is what I've used for years. The version with the red cap doesn't smell as strong as some others, but is still just as effective.

https://sawyer.com/products/maxi-deet-100-deet/

Yes, Deet can also etch plastic watch crystals, etc.

Mosquito population seems lower again this year in the Bishop Creek drainage, due to fewer areas of standing water (fewer wild flowers too).

On the sawyer.com link that Bob gave, I especially like that little .5 oz pump spray unit. It is ideal for ultralight packing.

I used to use high concentration DEET but have always been a little concerned about side effects. Consumer Reports did a story about insect repellents in May and said research shows a higher concentration of DEET has not been proven any more effective than a 30% concentration, and the higher concentrations have been associated with rashes, disorientation, and seizures. Picardin (20% concentration) and oil of lemon eucalyptus (30% concentration) are considered to be safer choices. I bought REPEL brand of oil of lemon eucalyptus at REI and used it on a June trip out of Agnew Meadows. It worked very well for flies and mosquitoes. It comes in a 4 ounce spray bottle, so it weighs about the same. To save a couple ounces of weight if only needed for a few days, you could do what I did: pour half into another clean container and save for later.

Since bug spray and sunblock usually go on the same spots, I use this Bullfrog insect repellant and sunscreen spray. It saves weight as well since it's only a single bottle.




Works well for both uses when I've used it. Hopefully it'll hold up to Whitney mosquitoes.

Thanks guys, got it.

per my OP, just wondered about 'skeeter density after July storms; I'll figure it out.

I already know where to buy DEET.

Hi, just looking for any trail reports along the HST from the past week or so. I'm starting on Aug 7 and also wondering about mosquitos.

I hear that the Kern Canyon stretch is the heaviest?

Thanks!

Just finished 7-day HST trek.
Awesome trail!
Skeeters were a non-issue.
I wore a permethrin-treated shirt, sprayed outside of sun hat with DEET prior to trip, and used about 2 drops of DEET on my legs on day 1 (to Bearpaw), day 2 (to Arroyo Jct.) and maybe somewhere else. I put about 3 drops of DEET on my Buff one evening to keep head/neck safe after sun hat was off.
No problems along Kern Trench, but we camped between Kern Hot Springs and Whitney Creek.
Good campsite selection and avoiding boggy rest stops helped.
Seriously, I think I had one bite on my week on the HST...although I did manage 3 yesterday afternoon as I had my bacon cheeseburger, fries and beer at the Portal Store!