Entomologist Urmas Tartes said that mosquitoes are currently abundant everywhere. "And there's the good news for everyone — no one is left out!" he joked.

Tartes recommended a good mood to better cope with this summer's mosquito swarms.

"When we're in a good mood, we tend to be a bit more patient with small annoyances and handle them more easily," he said.

Recent weather forecasts have promised a very favorable summer for mosquitoes, Tartes noted, noting that plenty of rain means puddles where mosquito larvae can grow.

"When the spring generation of woodland mosquitoes emerges, their numbers usually start to decline by Midsummer," he said. "But this year, we're seeing the same trend as last year: since there's plenty of rain, there are quite a lot of mosquitoes in the forests even just before Midsummer."

The insect expert explained that mosquitoes follow a daily rhythm, generally resting at night so they can be active in the morning and evening.

"But there's a nuance here: mosquitoes' activity throughout the day is influenced by temperature," he continued. "When the temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius at night, mosquitoes stop flying. But our summers are trending toward increasingly warm nights, allowing mosquitoes to be active practically around the clock."

Even light rain doesn't bother mosquitoes.

"If a mosquito is hit by a raindrop or two, it doesn't get wet; it might suffer a little bump, but keeps flying just fine," Tartes said. "Only heavy downpours — the kind that make it hard for even people to remain outside — curb mosquito activity."

Mosquitoes are, however, very susceptible to wind.

"When planning Midsummer festivities, it's much easier to handle mosquitoes in open areas at least 50 meters away from the forest, since they can't manage to fly in the wind," the entomologist noted.

According to Tartes, while there are some that may travel farther, mosquitoes also tend to stay in one place, near where they were born — within a radius of perhaps a few hundred meters.

"But they still have to be able to fly back to the puddle carrying the blood," he explained. "This means they feed on blood close to their future egg-laying site, and don't fly far to look for it."

Horseflies not active after dusk

Usually, mosquito numbers start to drop in May as horseflies take over. But this year, mosquitoes remain abundant even into June, so people across Estonia are dealing with both pests at once.

Even so, there's no need to worry about horseflies the night of Midsummer's Eve, as they are sun-loving insects that aren't active after dusk.

"One thing about horseflies is that they prefer moving in groups," Tartes noted.

"I've had plenty of experience driving into the forest with them swarming around the car," he continued. "But if I quietly slip out the door and walk calmly, they don't bother chasing me. Or if I'm holding something dark, like a camera bag, they'll land on that, because they're attracted to dark, moving objects."

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