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Let’s talk about summer and Alaska’s mosquitoes.
Summer is the one season I don’t enjoy having an outhouse. You’d think it would be winter, but you can make a winter outhouse comfortable (blue board as a seat, for one). There’s no being comfortable in an outhouse swarming with mosquitoes and getting bit on a bare butt. This is also the season where our dogs spend the most time inside. Yes, they often sleep inside year round. But we have huskies, and they enjoy hanging out and playing in the snow. Sometimes they won’t come inside because the wood stove makes the cabin too hot for them!
In summer, though, we have a horrendous mosquito season. Alaska’s mosquitoes are so prevalent they are often joked to be the unofficial state bird. And they don’t just snack on people and moose, but also our best friends, the dogs.
Even with the long husky coat, Ronan and Kolache are hounded by mosquitoes. They bite their faces, ears, and the pads of their paws. The bites are just as uncomfortable for dogs as they are for people.
If mosquitoes are bothering you outside, I can guarantee they are biting your pets, too.
Keeping mosquitoes from biting pets is important as they can carry and spread disease. While we don’t have heartworm in Alaska, it is prevalent in many other states. Because we often take the dogs with us when we visit family in Washington or Texas, this is something we still think about. Keeping mosquitos from biting your dog is also important because the bites can cause reactions, like swelling, itching, and even infection if the spot is scratched open.
Here’s what we do to prevent mosquitoes from biting our dogs.
The first couple of things we do to keep mosquitoes off of our dogs are beneficial for us out here too. We’ve used propane powered SkeeterVacs to attract and kill mosquitoes with a fan, or for something smaller there is this electric DynaTrap Mosquito trap (affiate link) I’d like to try. We also use Mosquito Dunks (affiliate link) in any standing water, like our driveway “pond”. They have bacteria toxic to mosquito larvae and won’t harm any plants or wildlife that are in, or drink, the water. We live in a marshy area, so we have lots of low-lying areas that collect water perfect for mosquitoes to breed in.
Using both of these really helps to reduce the amount of mosquitoes we have. There are also sprays that can be used to kill a large amount of mosquitoes in the area. We have yet to try any of these, so please read the product directions carefully to be sure it is safe for use around pets.
So that takes care of just keeping down the population, but what about keeping them off of pets?
Much like human mosquito repellent, there are things you can put on dogs to repel mosquitoes. Make sure to use products specifically for the animal you are treating. Not all products for dogs can be used on cats, for instance. There are many products for repelling mosquitoes from dogs, such as Sawyer Permethrin Spray (affiliate link). I can’t recommend this spray enough! It lasts a over a month per application, and I apply it to the outhouse and garage walls as well. No more mosquitos in there!
We also use K9 Advantix II to repel mosquitoes from the dogs. I prefer products like this because they only need to be applied monthly, rather than daily.
And never use Deet based products on dogs. It can cause vomiting and severe toxicity. If you want to carry a product for both you and your pet, Lemon Eucalyptus insect repellents (affiliate link) have been found safe for use on dogs and cats. It has also been found to be just as effective as Deet in repelling mosquitoes!
And yes, the mosquitoes are so bad here I’ve even written a poem about them:
The Unofficial State Bird
We joke the mosquito is Alaska’s unofficial state bird
But you won’t know the truth until you have heard
One or ten buzzing your face in the night
Then silence when it, on you, ceases flight
Sleep interrupted with bites, itching and scratching
Along with the consistent sound of skin slapping,
As attempting to kill them, dozens per hour
Your love of Alaska’s summer quickly turns sour
And the joke is mosquitoes are the unofficial state bird
But the truth is that joke isn’t all that absurd.
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