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Biting Bugs in Paris in mid-June?

My travel research hasn't yielded info on the topic of biting bugs in Paris, so I'm turning to you all for help. I'm a magnet for mosquitoes, no-see-ums/midges, and other biting bugs, which cause terrible itchy welts that last for days. I'll be in Paris in mid-June (just a couple of weeks away, hooray) and wonder if there will be biting bugs that could potentially torment me! I plan to wear long pants and long-sleeve shirts/sweaters. I hesitate to bring those awful anti-bug spray/creams if they are not needed....but also want to be prepared. What is your experience with biting bugs in Paris in June?

Posted by
750 posts

Paris has mosquitos because it’s warm and humid in the summer. Someone has previously mentioned that Off makes bug wipes that come in small packets that are available on Amazon.

Posted by
9420 posts

Mosquitoes love me and eat me alive but i’ve never had a mosquito bite in Paris or anywhere in France in all the years i’ve spent there. Italy was the opposite, i was covered in bites.

Posted by
8055 posts

just know that it is almost impossible to get effective bug repellant in Europe and that they have not yet invented the window screen. If you are super sensitive travel with the deet infused individual wipe packets (I used to always have one in my back pocket in Italy) and perhaps a small bottle of the cream from a store like REI -- takes up little space compared to sprays, but you have it if you need it.

We have not had a mosquito issue in Paris but June would be the time.

Posted by
427 posts

In response to an earlier comment indicating no incidents of mosquito bites in France, there certainly are mosquitos in France and they can be quite aggressive. Tiger mosquitos (moustiques tigres) are a particular problem. Here's a government website on that topic and here's another private website focusing on mosquitos in France.

If you scroll to the bottom of the government site, there's a map showing citizen reports of tiger mosquitos. They're most heavily reported in southern France, but there's a considerable cluster of reported sightings in the Paris area as well.

One more thing: although uncommon, there are window screens (moustiquaires) in France. You can buy them at most larger hardware stores. It seems few people do, though.

Posted by
6895 posts

There are some mosquitos in Paris. They can be annoying if your accommodation is next to a park with water features. They are typically not much of a nuisance outdoors, though. Some repellent should do the trick, and you could bare your sleeves.

No other biting bugs here.

Posted by
7298 posts

Have you booked a hotel with air conditioning?

Posted by
9567 posts

The main thing I do is buy a plug-in that emits some scent (by warming a little tab) that mosquitoes don't like. I plug it in when I go to bed and unplug it in the morning. It seems to work for me.

Posted by
10189 posts

FYI: this answer is for outside Paris.
There are ticks. I've had bites in the Loire and in Burgundy, and I got Lime Disease from one in Burgundy.

Posted by
8055 posts

We have tried the plug ins in Italy -- they don't work for us at all. I am a mosquito magnet and the two months in Florence were a battle. I remember us jumping up and down on the bed at 2 am in side the mosquito netting trying to smash that one mosquito that had figured out how to get into the tent. The plug ins were a joke. (plus I always wonder what you are breathing if it deters mosquitos). Deet works; it is hard to find in Europe, probably a neurotoxin, but it does work and we always carry it if we will be in a place where mosquitos are a problem. We have never had a problem in Paris, but we rarely stay beyond May.