Bugs and mosquitoes?

NJlauren

DIS Veteran
Joined
Nov 6, 2014
Messages
5,593
How is the bug situation in and around Disneyland? Specifically but not limited to mosquitoes. We do use bug spray every day, but still wondering.

This question is two fold, in the last week DD has gotten extremely swollen from bug bites, I get this reaction as well. We put bug spray on but still get some bites.

Zika is another concern, but I am monitoring this so knowing how the mosquitoes are in general is enough.
 
How is the bug situation in and around Disneyland? Specifically but not limited to mosquitoes. We do use bug spray every day, but still wondering.

This question is two fold, in the last week DD has gotten extremely swollen from bug bites, I get this reaction as well. We put bug spray on but still get some bites.

Zika is another concern, but I am monitoring this so knowing how the mosquitoes are in general is enough.

Mosquitos and other biting insects do exist in the area, I wouldn't say they are overwhelming. When I lived in the area, I pretty much never wore any bug spray and mosquito bites were a rare occurrence. There tend to be more bugs in the evenings than during the day. I'm not suggesting you shouldn't wear bug spray, especially due to Zika concerns and your severe reactions, but it's not as bad as going to someplace with a more tropical climate.
 
Honestly, I can probably count on one hand how many bugs I've seen in all of my trips to DL. Not that they probably aren't there, but certainly they seemed to be few and far between.
 

Thank you everyone! Makes me feel better, I'll still wear my bug spray, but I'll be less worried!
 
If anything you're in danger of getting flea bites from fleas carried by other guests.
 
In all of our trips to disneyland, we have never seen so much as a fly....until last year. We took my youngest DD's best friend. She was stung by a bee near the entrance to Indiana Jones. But I think that's really a one in a million occurrence.
 
They exist in the area. There aren't many places in the world where there aren't some mosquitoes (Alaska is notorious since aggressiveness helps with such a short time to reproduce). However, mosquitoes need standing water for larvae, and there are efforts to get people to remove such sources. I do remember seeing larvae in a rainwater-filled wheelbarrow. Also, feral pigs tend to create holes that trap rainwater, and that's a concern in parts of Orange County.

http://www.ocvcd.org/mosquitoes.php

It's not an overwhelming concern.
 
Literally... I never think about that when I am in Disneyland. Of course they exist there, but I never seem to get bitten by them. As of now I can't remember a time where I had a bug bite at Disneyland... I might have but they are THAT rare that I am having trouble.
 
We just got back yesterday after a week at Disneyland and did not see a single mosquito the entire trip. I saw a few people spraying bug repellant but no bugs. We did notice a couple ants by a lightpost once, but other than that it was virtually bug free for us.
 
Based on past experience, I appear to be delicious to mosquitoes. If there is one within a one mile radius, it will find me even if there are a thousand other people to choose from.

That said, I have never been bitten by a mosquito at Disneyland. And we've been going for 10 years. I don't wear insect repellent either.
 
I'm 58, been going to Disneyland my whole life, and I've never once had a mosquito bite at DL. Not to say there couldn't be a first time, but I was there last weekend for two nights, and went on the Jungle Cruise at night (awesome!) and no bites, even with all that water and so much foliage.

(Murphy's Law, now that we tell you that, you'll get a bunch of bites!!)
 
I'm 58, been going to Disneyland my whole life, and I've never once had a mosquito bite at DL. Not to say there couldn't be a first time, but I was there last weekend for two nights, and went on the Jungle Cruise at night (awesome!) and no bites, even with all that water and so much foliage.

(Murphy's Law, now that we tell you that, you'll get a bunch of bites!!)

If someone is going to get bit, it's me... And looks like DD too.... So even with all these reports we will probably being bug spray and use it if we need it.
 
I'm terrified of bugs and insects (especially bees!). I would remember if I saw something at Disneyland and in all the years we've gone, I've never seen one. I've never even been bitten by a mosquito while at Disneyland or the surrounding areas. It's nice to be able to sit on the curb on Main Street and not think twice about a bug crawling on you.
 
I'm one of those people who gets eaten alive by any insect in a million-mile radius, or so it seems. I tend to swell up and itch, and the doctor just tells me to carry liquid benadryl anytime I'm outside to combat the expected results.

Apart from a case of folliculitis (caused by hot tub chemicals in improper levels most likely), I've never needed the benadryl at Disneyland. No idea why/how, but I've been going for many years now, in each season, and haven't had an issue.

The mosquito population needs stagnant water, and DL seems to keep the water following enough to avoid this. No idea how they keep other buggies away considering all the flowers and vegetation, but they are masters do a great job at pest control :)
 
I live in LA. I rarely use bug spray and almost never have put it on my kids. I'm originally from the Midwest, so I know all about mosquitos. They just aren't an issue out here. Other bugs, when you hike, sure, but not mosquitos
 
Unless you're trying out the latest queen-bee pheromone skin moisturizer or planning to steal some honey, you're going to be fine.

I was born here and live 10 minutes away. I do a lot of planting/harvesting where bees are within inches of me every day. They've even bumped into my face accidentally. You can let them walk on your hand, ZERO problems. They're not looking for you and the key is to just understand their behavior, tendencies.

What you may see while you're at DLR:
  • Honeybees - Look before you sit. Most likely a sting would happen if you sit on one (possibly on a ride or bench). Highly likely someone would have seen it first and removed it anyways, so you won't see anything at all.
  • Yellow jackets - around the food left on outdoor tables and trash cans. Not interested in you.
  • Wasps - Will also investigate food. Not interested in you.
Mosquitos ARE interested in you. However, there hasn't been much rain all year, and I have not even seen a mosquito all year. They are around, though.
 
In case a chorus of voices will be reassuring, I am SUPER sensitive to mosquito bites, and often get itchy bites even when no one else I'm with gets them. I have been bitten by mosquitos in Los Angeles, but only when I've been in people's backyards at dusk. But I have *never* gotten bitten at Disneyland. Like someone said above, they do a good job with keeping the conditions unfavorable -- for instance, in that little bog of water at the back of the park in Frontierland, Imagineers designed those little mechanical fishes specifically to keep that water moving around to discourage mosquitos.

I don't wear any scented things, but I also don't use bug spray either. I think you will be very comfortable!
 
I grew up in LA and bugs aren't really something you worry about in the heavily developed urban areas.
 












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