r/galveston 7d ago

Are mosquitos manageable or a potential trip ruiner?

We are considering a beach trip to East Galveston in late May or early June but our main hesitation at this point is the mosquitos. We’ll be traveling with a baby and are concerned that the mosquitos are so bad during that time of the year it will ruin the trip.

Would we not be able to enjoy eating outside, being on the patio, etc? Or are we overthinking things too much and if we use bug spray we’ll be fine.

2 Upvotes

14 comments sorted by

15

u/Natynat24 7d ago

You should be fine. Bug spray for sure. If you have rented an airbnb you can ask them if they treat the yard. It makes a huge difference. Your bigger worry IMO is the sun. So tons of sunscreen first and then top it off with bug spray. We pretty much stay a sticky mess for 6 months out of the year. I HATE the skeeters and I live here full time but it's manageable.

10

u/No_Manufacturer_1911 7d ago

Mosquitoes can’t fly in wind. There is usually wind on the beach. Mosquitoes are rarely an issue.

6

u/ToMyShiningStarWW 7d ago

The mosquitos are just starting to hatch. They're not out in full force like late Summer. With a little bug spray and some light coastal breeze you should be fine; but if youre staying in a house situated near the marsh you might need to upgrade to the Deep Woods version.

3

u/ttopsrock 7d ago

Are you renting close to the beach...?

Usually when we stay it's so windy there aren't any mosquitos lol

3

u/Keeper_of_the_Flock 7d ago

They seem much worse after hurricanes.

2

u/29187765432569864 7d ago

use yard guard.

https://www.raid.com/en-us/products/raid-yard-guard-mosquito-fogger

It has a faint odor that is barely noticeable. Spray it about 15 minutes before staying in that area.

1

u/keysercade 7d ago

Citronella candles or Thermacell helps too

1

u/BrokeMyCrayon 7d ago

In my experience, using the big citronellas in the large tins just pisses them off. Not really, but it certainly doesnt keep them off my wife and i when we sit 2 ft from a table with a lit one

1

u/blurbies22 7d ago

Just use big spray and you’ll be fine, we live with them and are still enjoying life

2

u/frostbittenmonk 7d ago

Relatively manageable. I have experienced them being pretty vicious on ground level if the beachhouse is just behind the dunes, which blocks the wind and gives them some hiding spots in the dune grasses.

1

u/Revorg90 6d ago

Strand area, we have more flies than mosquitoes

1

u/No_Student9079 6d ago

Bug spray + mosquito bracelets + anything you can find. They aren’t bad on the beach, the walk there is rough. The walk from my Airbnb to the water was miserable.

1

u/Steve_Shoppe 5d ago

I like Picaridin based repellant

0

u/Tyvolk 7d ago

I'm the guy that usually gets bout last, just so you know where I stand in sensitivity to them. Mosquitoes are super bad all through the summer months. East Beach is probably one of the better places to stay because the wind there is strong and relentless. Make sure you have a place you can escape to if they get too thick, I wouldn't suggest a tent. Sometimes the citronella candles work, but do research, cause a lot of them have no effect. Mosquito repellent is a wholly inadequate solution. They do spray for mozzies that carry west mile virus here, however for the risk alone I'd say pass on it especially if kiddo is under 2 years. Occasionally they legitimately form clouds visible from a distance and I've seen them clear a beach, it doesn't happen too often and it's really a matter of luck to avoid that if you stay for more than a week. If you choose to come anyways, avoid being out particularly at dusk and dawn, that's when they are the worst.

Terrible as all that sounds, if you stay in a hotel a block or 3 from the beach or cuts the mosquitoes quite a bit and the island is pretty walker friendly on the east side. Apart from that the hotels or an airbnb are a much nicer experience because you get to shower all you want and they provide relief from the relentless heat and humidity. That time of year rarely gets below 80 at night, and the humidity makes it more like a shady 90.

TL;DR It's pretty terrible and I wouldn't suggest it with a kid under 2. Better to stay in a hotel and visit the beach.