Sometime ago and before I came to live in Cuenca, I had read various logs stating that Cuenca seemed to have very few bugs. I guess these comments are relative to where you are from. But I can assure you there are bugs in Cuenca.
I have lived in several areas of the city: In a house, in a ground floor apartment and now in a 2nd floor apartment.
While in the house, I experienced many flies. These were due to having dogs living in the house pooping and peeing on the tile-paved patio just below my bedroom window.
While in the ground floor apartment, there was the odd mosquito and the odd fly. There were two dogs living across the street but they had a grassy area in which to do their thing. So it maybe the grassy area that kept the bug traffic to a minimum. However, there were some other interesting creepy crawlies that came out to play.
At a certain time of the year there is a bug about 3 inches in length and looking like a scorpion but without a stinger and is quite frequent in numbers.
There is also a number of fairly large spiders that appear after a lot of rain. One of them I saw was a small tarantula (about 2" in diameter) and the other I don't know the type but again about 2" in diameter and with shiny black legs. The tarantula had hairy black legs. Darn I can't post pictures (only via a link which I did not want to do)!
Fortunately, all these critters prefer to stay outside.
In my present apartment it is very nice to have the window open at night. But, that presents a problem. Every night we get at least 3 or more mosquitoes which wakes me up and I use an electric badminton racket to terminate their existence since I can't easily see them at night.
I believe the reason for them being so prevalent here as opposed to the other locations I have lived is that there is a tienda just next to my apartment where, unfortunately, they are raising chickens. They most probably keep water troughs available for the chickens and that is likely where these little nasty's are breeding. What a GIANT pain!!!
In this location we also get a lot of flies. Again it is likely due to the chickens.
I won't be living here much longer.
I have also visited a place about an hour south of Cuenca called the Yunguilla Valley (I think I have the location and name correct) and on the road to Loja. In any case, at night it is a flying bug paradise. Keep your windows closed!!! I know of one Canadian couple that could not take the bugs and moved back to Cuenca. The elevation is lower and so the climate a bit warmer. I guess that makes the difference.
So, Cuenca is not bug free. That is for certain.
Bugs in Cuenca
Mike GB posted:
"I can assure you there are bugs in Cuenca....
"In my present apartment it is very nice to have the window open at night. But, that presents a problem. Every night we get 3 or more mosquitoes which wakes me up and I use an electric badminton racket to terminate their existence...."
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Screens on the open window may be preferable for those who like to let in fresh air while keeping insects out, without resorting to electric badminton or other raquet sports at 4 a.m.
cccmedia (of mosQuito-free Quito)
I was going to ask 'why not screens' but since i'm not living in Ecuador decided against it. Were it me, i'd go to the local supplier, get some screen, cut it to suit, and if necessary duct tape them on.
Speaking of bugs, when living in the Caribbean (various Islands) I used to hate being attacked by the centipedes. It still amazes me that something so small can be so terrifying and ferocious. They come at you faster than anything known to mankind, and do it all on three feet touching the travelled surface at any given micro second. Some freak of nature crossed with hydraulic action. I soon learned to how to feverishly corner the little red beasts and pound them dead with the heal of a shoe. Tough little buggers. Your tennis racket brought that to mind. The Zika virus is the latest big story for Latin America. Is Ecuador vulnerable?
cccmedia wrote:Screens on the open window may be preferable for those who like to let in fresh air while keeping insects out, without resorting to electric badminton or other raquet sports at 4 a.m.
cccmedia (of mosQuito-free Quito)
One other problem: I have cats that like to go outside at night.
Yes, there is bugs in Cuenca but not in the same amounts as in the coast for example.
There is some black bugs, with six legs and like 3-4 inches long, really ugly.
Also I saw a couple of times the biggest spiders I saw in my life. 18 inches and I not kidding.
Vinny
No worse than VA in the hot, humid summers. We've got a variety of mosquitoes of all sizes (the Japanese tiger mosquitoes swarm 24-7) along with several types of snakes, ants whose colonies prefer indoors during rainy days (esp. red ants that sting), horse flies, fleas, tics, etc. Oh, yes, termites love to inhabit homes with wooden paneling. ha I welcome the gecos who control the insect population.I don't think there's any place in the world where you can completely escape this nuisance. I would definitely opt for screens and a mosquito net there.
Hey guys. This about the bugs you see in Cuenca. Not elsewhere!
Apologies. Feel free to delete my post. I was concurring about the screens for Cuenca.
Regards,
PS
peripatetic_soul wrote:Apologies. Feel free to delete my post. I was concurring about the screens for Cuenca.
Regards,
PS
No worries, all bugs are fair game! Bug hate is a global phenomena. We all hate bugs everywhere! Bugs need to be gone- I hate bugs!
Walking down the sidewalk in downtown Cuenca when we were exploring, I looked down at the pavement and saw the BIGGEST bug I have ever seen in my life (and we're from Texas) - just strolling along without a care in the world. It looked like some gigantic National Geographic quality rhinoceros beetle. Black with big antlers, a long snout, too many legs and antennae, lumbering along like he had places to go and people to see. This bug must have been at least 5-6 inches. Pedestrian traffic just routed around him as he rolled along.
Bugs like that you can just kick out in front of an oncoming bus aren't so bad. Little teeny tiny bugs that take up domicile in your intestinal tract are the more fearsome mofos.
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