How bad are the mosquitoes and other bugs and insects in Boquete, Panama?
Linda Jensen
Yuck, bugs bother me, too. However in the area we live in the Panama highlands of Boquete we haven't seen very many bothersome mosquitoes. I have seen a couple of cockroaches. There are more flies as the weather gets more damp and it rains more. 
When you dine out sometimes depending on the humidity you can be pestered by flies. There is a small, the size of a house fly, wasp looking little bugger that stings like a fire ant!
Inside our...
Yuck, bugs bother me, too. However in the area we live in the Panama highlands of Boquete we haven't seen very many bothersome mosquitoes. I have seen a couple of cockroaches. There are more flies as the weather gets more damp and it rains more.
When you dine out sometimes depending on the humidity you can be pestered by flies. There is a small, the size of a house fly, wasp looking little bugger that stings like a fire ant!
Inside our condo the first week we moved in there was a very large stinging scorpion. He was angry about being inside and kept following me as I was trying to figure our what to do with him. I am pretty much afraid of bugs and he was truly worthy of my fear! I swept him out the door and hit him with the broom. The next encounter with a very large bug was a big moth. His wing 
span was four inches.
I have seen a few spiders in the house; I spray weekly.
Overall the bugs here in Boquete are not better than or worse than in the USA.
We have seen some beetles, grasshoppers, crickets, slugs, and ants.The occasional tarantula. Not so much that I am worried.
There are buttery flies, wasps, bees and thousands of other insects in Panama. Probably not enough to keep people from coming here and falling in love with the place.
Posted June 2, 2013
Roger J. Pentecost - Boquete Valley of Flowers Condos
Having lived in Boquete town for over 6 years I am still surprised by how few, if any, mosquitos and other bugs there are. The coolness and elevation have a lot to do with this, as well as the lack of standing water, etc. I live on the south face of the Volcancito Road, which is well drained and subjected to a lot of sun and breezes.
The bugs that are around here are not a biting kind. Down in the town site...
Having lived in Boquete town for over 6 years I am still surprised by how few, if any, mosquitos and other bugs there are. The coolness and elevation have a lot to do with this, as well as the lack of standing water, etc. I live on the south face of the Volcancito Road, which is well drained and subjected to a lot of sun and breezes.
The bugs that are around here are not a biting kind. Down in the town site and up in some valleys there is low cloud & mist. We eat out on our patio morning and evening with no problem. I know this is not the case in other places not far from Boquete. My wife and I still find it hard to believe we are in the tropics, even after 6 plus years. We had intended originally to only spend 1/2 the year here. That will not happen now; we are here for good.
Posted June 3, 2013
Philip McGuigan - Chiriqui United, an Association of the leading humanitarian organizations in the Chiriqui Province of Panama
Our first dog in Boquete, Molly, a former street girl, is tough as nails and a wonderfully accomplished scorpion hunter. There is a scorpion season here in Boquete and, even though I regularly spray with a high-end insecticide, they do get in the house.
So during scorpion season, every once in a while, I’ll hear a deep “woof, woof,” so I’ll say, “OK, Molly, what do you have?” I will find her pointing to a scorpion, which I simply step on, and...
So during scorpion season, every once in a while, I’ll hear a deep “woof, woof,” so I’ll say, “OK, Molly, what do you have?” I will find her pointing to a scorpion, which I simply step on, and...
Our first dog in Boquete, Molly, a former street girl, is tough as nails and a wonderfully accomplished scorpion hunter. There is a scorpion season here in Boquete and, even though I regularly spray with a high-end insecticide, they do get in the house.
So during scorpion season, every once in a while, I’ll hear a deep “woof, woof,” so I’ll say, “OK, Molly, what do you have?” I will find her pointing to a scorpion, which I simply step on, and we clean up and move on.
There are no mosquitos in Boquete, so I haven’t been bitten by any mosquitos. There is a coffee bug that bites you. The bite creates a tiny volcano, you squeeze it, and the poison comes out. If you don’t touch it after you squeeze it, it will be gone by the next day. Eradication of mosquitos was a big deal here in Panama. If they hadn’t eradicated the mosquitos, the Canal could not have been built.
We are outside all the time. I can look from my porch and see two houses with completely open living rooms. They sited their houses so that the rain doesn’t come in and the living room is a completely open environment; and they are there all the time. No mosquito bites.
When I go to the airport, I can always identify which tourists, who are wearing shorts, have been to Bocas Del Toro since you can see the mosquito bites all over their legs. That doesn’t happen here.
So during scorpion season, every once in a while, I’ll hear a deep “woof, woof,” so I’ll say, “OK, Molly, what do you have?” I will find her pointing to a scorpion, which I simply step on, and we clean up and move on.
There are no mosquitos in Boquete, so I haven’t been bitten by any mosquitos. There is a coffee bug that bites you. The bite creates a tiny volcano, you squeeze it, and the poison comes out. If you don’t touch it after you squeeze it, it will be gone by the next day. Eradication of mosquitos was a big deal here in Panama. If they hadn’t eradicated the mosquitos, the Canal could not have been built.
We are outside all the time. I can look from my porch and see two houses with completely open living rooms. They sited their houses so that the rain doesn’t come in and the living room is a completely open environment; and they are there all the time. No mosquito bites.
When I go to the airport, I can always identify which tourists, who are wearing shorts, have been to Bocas Del Toro since you can see the mosquito bites all over their legs. That doesn’t happen here.
Posted July 6, 2014
Paul McBride - Inside Panama Real Estate
Living in the tropics can mean paradise for many people but even paradise comes with a price. One of these costs is learning to live with insects. Although a bug scientist would say there are thousands of different insect species (and I’m sure they’re correct), I categorize bugs in two broad groups – flying bugs and creepy crawly bugs.
Flying bugs include all sorts of irritating pests including mosquitoes, flies, bees, wasps...
Living in the tropics can mean paradise for many people but even paradise comes with a price. One of these costs is learning to live with insects. Although a bug scientist would say there are thousands of different insect species (and I’m sure they’re correct), I categorize bugs in two broad groups – flying bugs and creepy crawly bugs.
Flying bugs include all sorts of irritating pests including mosquitoes, flies, bees, wasps etc. Creepy crawlies include spiders (my personal phobia), beetles, ants, centipedes and an occasional scorpion.
At our house we have a strategy for both these categories and have been very successful in keeping unwanted guests from coming into our house.
We have a local extermination service spray the exterior of our home twice a year – once at the end of the dry season and once at the end of the wet season. Experience has shown that during these transition periods the bugs are on the move either looking for ways to get out of the water or looking for a source of water. Spraying the perimeter of our house has virtually eliminated any bugs in our household. Now, the second part of our strategy involves keeping the doors closed and only opening windows that have screens. You’d be surprised at how many people in Boquete keep their doors wide open with no screens and then complain that they have bugs in their homes.
For flying bugs, our strategy of using screens on our windows keeps them to minimum while we’re in our home. But what about when we’re outside? Well, as we are so often told, flying insects, particularly mosquitoes, are generally most active during the early morning and early evening hours. With this in mind, using bug spray or wearing long pants and shirts with long sleeves is your best strategy.
Having lived in Alaska for twelve years as a young man, I can honestly say that bugs were a bigger problem there than what I have experienced in Panama. Of course, if you’re planning to take a hike out in the jungle that’s a very different story. But, living in community like Boquete, bugs are a part of the environment but they are not something that can’t be managed. I think that most people coming to Boquete will surprised that bugs are less of problem than they may have imagined.
Posted September 8, 2014
kevin obrien - BarefootPanama
There are no mosquitoes in Boquete, Panama. It is at 3,500 feet of elevation, so it gets very cold at night and mosquitoes do not like the cold. The amount of mosquitoes in Panama City is surprisingly low because having mosquitoes is sort of an issue that is front and center for the last 100 years, since it was discovered that tthey caused malaria, dengue, and yellow fever. The government continuously tries to control the mosquito population, so it is not too bad.
There are no mosquitoes in Boquete, Panama. It is at 3,500 feet of elevation, so it gets very cold at night and mosquitoes do not like the cold. The amount of mosquitoes in Panama City is surprisingly low because having mosquitoes is sort of an issue that is front and center for the last 100 years, since it was discovered that tthey caused malaria, dengue, and yellow fever. The government continuously tries to control the mosquito population, so it is not too bad.
Posted October 20, 2014
Ricord (Ric) Winstead, MD - Retirement Services International
I have not seen any mosquitoes in Boquete because the place is cool enough that mosquitoes are not happy to live there.In May, there is a June bug hatch and they are all over the place.
Many of the houses in Boquete do not have screens, which shows that the bug problem is non-existent. The coolness, the breezes, and the elevation of Boquete determine the lack of bugs. A lot of times, when the wind is blowing, there are just no bugs.
If you are an...
I have not seen any mosquitoes in Boquete because the place is cool enough that mosquitoes are not happy to live there.In May, there is a June bug hatch and they are all over the place.
Many of the houses in Boquete do not have screens, which shows that the bug problem is non-existent. The coolness, the breezes, and the elevation of Boquete determine the lack of bugs. A lot of times, when the wind is blowing, there are just no bugs.
If you are an entomologist, you would set up your bright light and your sheet and you could collect amazing collections of moths and beetles at night, but you really have to go out of your way to do that.
(Temperate flowers for harvest thrive in cool Boquete, pictured.)
Posted July 30, 2015
Alberto Socarraz - Panama Vida
Mosquitoes are not actually a bother when you are in Boquete because of the elevation and mosquitoes do not like cold weather. For the most part, there are no issues when it comes to mosquitoes in the area. However, depending on the season, we have what is called biting flies, which come around for about two weeks every year when the coffee starts to bloom. For the most part, bugs aren’t necessarily a nuisance here in Boquete because of the elevation....
Mosquitoes are not actually a bother when you are in Boquete because of the elevation and mosquitoes do not like cold weather. For the most part, there are no issues when it comes to mosquitoes in the area. However, depending on the season, we have what is called biting flies, which come around for about two weeks every year when the coffee starts to bloom. For the most part, bugs aren’t necessarily a nuisance here in Boquete because of the elevation. It’s nothing that you can’t be very comfortable in after using any bug repellant or lotion. Compared to Miami, Florida, the bugs here are way less. I have never experienced being bitten by a mosquito in Boquete, but in Miami, it was a constant battle with mosquitoes. Miami is a mosquito capital!
(Prized Boquete coffee served in many miles away in a cafe in Casco Viejo, Panama, pictured.)
Posted September 8, 2015
Manzar Lari - Casa de Montaña
In my experience, the bugs, insects and mosquitoes in Boquete are not that at all. I have yet to see a scorpion or a tarantula or anything similar. I’ve seen a couple of little snakes in the last two and a half years. And as far as mosquitoes, we don’t have mosquitoes. We have these little no-see-ums or coffee flies maybe at dusk or early in the morning. You may get bitten by them depending on where you are, for example, if you’re close to a coffee plant or other...In my experience, the bugs, insects and mosquitoes in Boquete are not that at all. I have yet to see a scorpion or a tarantula or anything similar. I’ve seen a couple of little snakes in the last two and a half years. And as far as mosquitoes, we don’t have mosquitoes. We have these little no-see-ums or coffee flies maybe at dusk or early in the morning. You may get bitten by them depending on where you are, for example, if you’re close to a coffee plant or other vegetation. Otherwise, there’s not much of a problem at all with bugs. My Minneapolis bug experience was worse because we had a lot of mosquitoes in the summer, especially after early spring into the summer. We would get a lot of mosquitoes that would hatch and then you have lots of them. So I would say that there’s less and less of a problem here than in Minnesota.
(Cloud Forest of Boquete, Panama, picture.)
Posted April 4, 2016
Rommel H. Troetsch - Arquitectura Axioma
Greetings expats community.
Because Boquete is in the tropical zone of the world I understand your concerns about bugs, mosquitos and other plagues. But don't worry, regardless of this being a tropical zone Boquete's altitude helps against mosquitos.
Nevertheless there are other bugs to take in consideration. Depending on where you live you can find other animals like toads or even small snakes if you live in a lot full of nature so it is something...
Because Boquete is in the tropical zone of the world I understand your concerns about bugs, mosquitos and other plagues. But don't worry, regardless of this being a tropical zone Boquete's altitude helps against mosquitos.
Nevertheless there are other bugs to take in consideration. Depending on where you live you can find other animals like toads or even small snakes if you live in a lot full of nature so it is something...
Greetings expats community.
Because Boquete is in the tropical zone of the world I understand your concerns about bugs, mosquitos and other plagues. But don't worry, regardless of this being a tropical zone Boquete's altitude helps against mosquitos.
Nevertheless there are other bugs to take in consideration. Depending on where you live you can find other animals like toads or even small snakes if you live in a lot full of nature so it is something to take in consideration.
Speaking through my experience, I have found toads, small snakes but nothing to worry about. I've lived here for 12 years and It has just happened 2two times with the toads and one time with a small and non harmful snake.
What has been a real issue are scorpions. Last year I moved to an apartment which is far from Boquete's main road and I have found many little and not so little scorpions in my house. At some point it became normal and I didn't even worry when I found them in the kitchen or crawling around. I decided to fumigate and I had no undesirable visits for a long long time. This year they appeared again and more than I have ever seen before so I decide to call the best fumigation company and there diagnosis was this:
Because Boquete is in the tropical zone of the world I understand your concerns about bugs, mosquitos and other plagues. But don't worry, regardless of this being a tropical zone Boquete's altitude helps against mosquitos.
Nevertheless there are other bugs to take in consideration. Depending on where you live you can find other animals like toads or even small snakes if you live in a lot full of nature so it is something to take in consideration.
Speaking through my experience, I have found toads, small snakes but nothing to worry about. I've lived here for 12 years and It has just happened 2two times with the toads and one time with a small and non harmful snake.
What has been a real issue are scorpions. Last year I moved to an apartment which is far from Boquete's main road and I have found many little and not so little scorpions in my house. At some point it became normal and I didn't even worry when I found them in the kitchen or crawling around. I decided to fumigate and I had no undesirable visits for a long long time. This year they appeared again and more than I have ever seen before so I decide to call the best fumigation company and there diagnosis was this:
- The scorpions in Panama are not poisonous. Their sting does hurts and you will feel pain but you are not going to die or get your limbs amputated. You can get a regular pain killer and an allergy medicine and you will be fine.
- Because my lot limits with a cliff the scorpions are just next to me so I need to fumigate constantly.
- They seek warm places to hide and my house is literally 15 feet away from the cliff so it is obvious to them to get in my house.
- They get in using the small and narrow spaces between doors and floors, a non-sealed window or any small opening so make sure everything is hermetically closed.
- They are more common to see in December to March so that is the best time in the year to fumigate.
- Because I live very close to wild nature and that is their habitat I am the invader in this case and we are going to be in a constant war between us so I will need to fumigate constantly, but the best thing to do is to get a cat. (Even the fumigation company told us that, so if you already have a cat in the United States make sure to bring it with you.)
I hope that you find this answer helpful and I hope I have not scared you too much. Boquete is still a wonderful place to live in but I also need to be honest with you.
I wish you a good day.
Rommel Hans Troetsch
I wish you a good day.
Rommel Hans Troetsch
Posted January 26, 2018
Maria Huang
This is my 2nd time to Boquete Panama and there are definitely mosquitoes here during rainy season. I have needed my mesh tent over my bed and use of repellent all day and night. Even the locals are complaining about getting bit. If you are prone to getting bit please be prepared. I am going home with a lot of bites.
This is my 2nd time to Boquete Panama and there are definitely mosquitoes here during rainy season. I have needed my mesh tent over my bed and use of repellent all day and night. Even the locals are complaining about getting bit. If you are prone to getting bit please be prepared. I am going home with a lot of bites.
Posted June 24, 2019