Mosquitoes and clothing question

Personally had no mosquito issues in Rome or Amalfi where we've been there (anywhere from early Sept to early Oct) but in Florence the 3rd week of Sept - ugh. Well, we went to Fiesole in the evening for views over Florence and the skeeters were the worst. They pretty much drove us away. It may depend on where you are - even at home I don't find the mosq as bad in town as they don't have anywhere to 'hide' like they do in the burbs with trees and plants and standing water.

I don't know why you couldn't wear shorts on the coast - our experience in Amalfi in early Sept was hot and humid. I live in capri pants in the hot weather.

Honestly, I have not had a mosquito problem in Italy. I am sure they are there, but if you are used to parts of the US that are mosquito heavy then it will seem mosquito-light. Of course you should still have your spray just in case, but in my experience...not that much of an issue.

Romper - yes, it will be fine. You can't enter churches in shorts, but otherwise are fine. Local people, especially younger ones, wear shorts, maybe not as much or as casually-done as in the US but times are changing! And a romper can be styled more like a sundress anyway.

I wore capris everywhere on Amalfi coast and Capri in July. I had lots of company in doing so. In Naples where it was just as hot, I wore a skirt and saw no one in capris or shorts.

Personally, I stay away from a romper when traveling as there is more fabric to possibly end up in less than sanitary locations, but each to their own. I tend to pack items that are adaptable to most of my trip. Capris, skirts very adaptable. Shorts for beach and they pack smaller. Also can mix and match with the tops for the rest of your trip. If you absolutely love your romper at the moment, then add it in as a splurge, but if you need to consider the high cost of suitcase 'real estate', it may not be the first choice.
There are some compact mosquito wipes or patches. These won't need to be in your 3-1-1 bag of liquids if you are going carry on only. Easy to have in your purse for day use. I found the patches work well.

Thank you everyone for your responses. Now I'm feeling a little bit less overwhelmed. I'll definitely bring mosquito wipes with me!

I didn't have any big issues during the day but they ate me alive in Florence during the night so keep your windows shut!

Can't answer if mosquitoes are in Italy, but I get eaten alive by them, so when I went to SE Asia I pre-treated a few pieces of clothing with permethrin spray - available at outdoor stores. You coat each piece of clothing and allow to air dry. Don't worry, doesn't affect the clothes, and it lasts through six washes. Worked so well! No bug bites for me while jungle trekking.

I had lots of bites in Rome (Prati, near the Tiber) and in Florence (Oltrarno) in late April to mid May, overnight. I only ever saw one in Florence and never heard them. I found Afterbite or similar to be really helpful, plus an antihistamine. The repellent didn't really help. They love me too!

Rather than taking or purchasing a spray for mosquitoes, I always travel with a few of these wipes in my bag (just in case) - you can buy them at most sporting goods stores (eg. Cabela's, REI, MEC) before you leave home and they take up almost no room in your luggage. Ben's works for me, including in Italy.

https://www.rei.com/product/750941/bens-insect-repellent-wipes-30-percent-deet-package-of-12

Wearing capris are perfect in Capri!

My parents complained of mosquitoes while they were in Florence. In general, places near rivers or water (except the ocean) have the most. Especially in Florence, I would choose a hotel or b&b away from the Arno.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/italy/bring-mosquito-repellant-to-italy

DEET and long sleeve shirts.

Especially in Florence, I would choose a hotel or b&b away from the
Arno.

Wise words from Becky...except that our hotel was a healthy distance from the river - very near San Marco - and I was still chewed to bits during night! Bloodthirsty creatures, they were.

We were in Padua for 3 days the last week of September 2018. We were waiting outside Scrovegni Chapel from 6:30 pm - 7 pm and the mosquitoes were intense. I felt bad for the guests who hadn't brought any repellent with them. Locations near the river and shrubs were much worse in Padua. We then went to Venice for 5 days where the mosquitoes invaded our San Marco hotel room necessitating closing the bathroom window at all times. We again used the repellent. The mosquitoes were quite insistent in Florence as well. The hotel gave guests the Vape plug-in dispenser but it wasn't very effective. I was still bit several times while sleeping. We even had to seek out a pharmacy for some itch-relief cream. Luckily I was able to obtain one that requires an Rx in the US. Again the mosquitoes followed us to Rome. I was thankful that we still had some DEET left in our 3-oz spray cans for our day trip to Ostia Antica where the problem wasn't solely mosquitoes. There were swarms of annoying insects of various types and the repellent worked for most of them too. It was a sunny steamy day which would have been much worse without repellent. The mosquitoes we encountered in Italy were much more aggressive than those we battle in southeast Michigan. I think our reactions to the bites are much stronger since we weren't accustomed to the species of insects in Italy. We used most of the 2 3-oz. cans we brought with us. Mosquitoes were a factor for the entire 18 day trip. I was so glad that we prepared for them.

If there's a mosquito problem in any of the places you're staying, your hotel may provide a Vape device. If not, you can buy one cheaply at a grocery store such as Coop, Conad, Pam or Despar. The devices do a decent job of keeping mosquitos away from your room.

Any recommendations for individual bug repellent wipes? Think I’ll get some for my next trip.

Especially in Florence, I would choose a hotel or b&b away from the
Arno.

Wise words from Becky...except that our hotel was a healthy distance from the river - very near San Marco - and I was still chewed to bits during night! Bloodthirsty creatures, they were.

Another good reason to have a place with a/c.

Window screens seem to be as rare as ice cubes in Italy. Like the ZTL cameras, the mosquitoes go after only the tourists. :-)

I've been to Italy many times, and only ever recall a mosquito problem in September 2010 in Venice.
We had an apartment with a roof terrace that we could not use , they were so bad, even during the day.
My friend woke up the first morning with her eye swollen shut from a bite.
I've never been bothered by then further south.
Which repellant wipes do people recommend?

wk,

I've taken the RS South Italy tour and don't recall having a problem with mosquitoes, but the situation may have changed. I've been to the other locations you mentioned and don't remember any problems there either. Maybe I'm not attractive to mosquitoes?

I believe Consumer Reports did a recent study on which insect repellents were most effective, and I'm not sure the Wipes were as effective as the DEET liquids. You may be able to find a copy of that at your local library.

Re: I believe Consumer Reports did a recent study on which insect repellents were most effective, and I'm not sure the Wipes were as effective as the DEET liquids. You may be able to find a copy of that at your local library.

Timing is everything ... as luck would have it, the July 2019 issue of CR arrived in my mailbox today!

On page 58 of this issue under "How Deet and Permethrin can protect you" it says under "Pros":
We've found that lotions, wipes, and aerosol sprays with 25 to 30 per cent deet are effective.

As noted in the article, the two types of wipes tested by CR were Repel and Off.