Alaska.com: Alaska's Travel Website

Let's be upfront: Mosquitoes are a pest.

But for most travelers in Alaska, mosquitoes are nothing more than an inconvenience.

Mosquitoes are most prevalent near standing water, in the forest and on low tundra. They're present during all the warm months, but they taper off late in the summer.

Wear long sleeves, long pants and a hat; go where mosquitoes aren't; or use bug dope with a high percentage of DEET.

Applications based on citronella or Avon's Skin-So-Soft also work for some people.

Other people insist on wearing a headnet -- but unless you're going to wander through miles of marshy tundra or have a strong allergic reaction to bug dope, there's no really need for a headnet or special anti-skeeter gear.

If you're hiking, try walking in a breezy place or along ridges to reduce the number of mosquitoes that line up at the lunch counter.

A case of West Nile virus was reported in Alaska in 2002, but it was a man who had contracted the disease in his home state.