SE Utah Bugs in May?

[SteveR]

First off- I fully realize that each year and every locale is going to be different, but I'm wondering what the bug situation is like generally like in early May, around areas such as Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bear's Ears? The back story is that after de-winterizing our camper and pulling out the summer camping and hiking gear on the weekend, we are longing for warm weather as Alberta begins it's often painfully long and slow up and down progress towards summer. As those have long been favorite fall destinations, we are thinking of a first spring (maybe May is "early summer") trip. And, how much busier is this time of year?

 

[canadug]

The rains can often arrive in May and very likely there will be bugs.....especially the nasty little NOSEEUMS!!!

 

[Ugly]

I am a winter desert person, but bugs and busy all depend on the location, weather and the year. Gnats, noseeums and flies can be a pest. I did have snow one Memorial Day, a few inches on Boulder Mtn and big flakes in Torrey.

Bug pressure varies wildly depending on location.
All the bugs are forgotten though when the weather is nice, the cottonwoods are neon green, the flowers are blooming, birds are singing and the frogs are chirping in the canyons.
You might want to give late spring a try. With your setup, you could change elevations and locations as needed.
There are more people, especially going into some of the canyons in spring than late fall, but most people are around popular places. The slots, Coyote, Neon, Calf Creek... etc

 

[futurafree]

Cedar gnats were terrible last week in Muddy Creek and fairly bad near the Dirty Devil two weeks ago. I think they have a brief period of peak nastiness and then recede.

 

[SteveR]

I’ll answer my own question, as we head home this morning after fleeing Alberta for 11 days of desert sun and warmth. In 3 days in the central Swell, 5 at Cedar Mesa, and 3 in Capitol reef camped along Pleasant Creek we encountered only minimal gnats and no mozzies.

 

[Ugly]

I’ll answer my own question, as we head home this morning after fleeing Alberta for 11 days of desert sun and warmth. In 3 days in the central Swell, 5 at Cedar Mesa, and 3 in Capitol reef camped along Pleasant Creek we encountered only minimal gnats and no mozzies.

Lucky.


I am glad you got down into the desert.