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NoBites Abroad · Destinations · Lebanon
Quick Briefing · BEY

Lebanon's tiger mosquitoes bite by day. Its sand flies bite at night.

Disease risk LowBites Noticeable
  • No CDC travel notice for mosquito-borne disease
Rated for Jun–Sep tripsFull picture ↓

There is no malaria or local dengue, and CDC recommends no malaria medicine or yellow fever vaccine. On a June–September family visit, the Asian tiger mosquito bites in daylight along the coast and in the Mount Lebanon villages, and sand flies, which CDC lists as the source of leishmaniasis, bite from dusk to dawn.

By NoBites Abroad·Updated October 2026·3 min read

Are there mosquitoes in Lebanon? Yes. The Asian tiger mosquito, which arrived in 2002, now bites by day along the coast and up the western slopes of Mount Lebanon, and sand flies bite at night. There is no malaria, no local dengue outbreak and no CDC travel notice. For a summer visit to family in Beirut or a mountain village, the plan is repellent by day and a closed, screened room at night.

Disease risk LowNo malaria and no local dengue; CDC lists leishmaniasis, spread by night-biting sand flies, as the bite-borne disease to avoid.
Bite nuisance NoticeableDaytime tiger mosquitoes on the coast and the Mount Lebanon slopes all summer, sand flies at night, and fewer mosquitoes in the dry Bekaa.
CirculatingLeishmaniasis (sand flies)Tiger mosquito (daytime)No malaria medicine (CDC)No local dengue outbreakNo yellow fever vaccine
CDC noticesNo country-specific notice for mosquito-borne disease
Jun–Sep tripsJune to September sits inside the tiger mosquito's season, which runs from spring to the end of autumn, so expect daytime bites on the coast and in villages up to about 3,300 feet. Sand flies tend to bite from dusk to dawn through the warm months.
Data checkedOctober 2026 · sources

What CDC lists: sand flies and leishmaniasis

CDC's Lebanon page lists one bite-borne disease, leishmaniasis, spread by "sand fly bite," with the advice to avoid bug bites. The page has no dengue or West Nile entry, and Lebanon isn't on CDC's global dengue list. Phlebotomine sand flies are tiny, bite from dusk to dawn and are rarely noticed.

The skin form, cutaneous leishmaniasis, is Lebanon's most common neglected tropical disease, a 2022 review found. Health Ministry data show 0 to 6 cases a year in 2005–2011, then 1,275 in 2012 and 263 in 2018 after Syrian refugees arrived, and the 2018 cases were all among refugees from Aleppo. A 2017 clinic study in north Lebanon found possible local transmission in three patients who hadn't been to Syria.

From dusk to dawn, cover arms and legs, use repellent on exposed skin, and sleep in an air-conditioned or well-screened room. Sand flies can be small enough to slip through ordinary mosquito netting, so a closed room tends to do more than a net. Permethrin-treated clothing helps too.

Tiger mosquitoes in daylight

Lebanese researchers found the tiger mosquito active for about 32 weeks of the year, from spring to the end of autumn, on the coast and on Mount Lebanon's humid western slopes up to about 3,300 feet (1,000 m). They describe it as a nuisance in many localities "because of its human biting behavior" (PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 2022). It's absent from arid inland areas, which take in much of the Bekaa.

Tiger mosquitoes bite in the daytime, with peaks in the morning and late afternoon, in gardens, balconies and shady courtyards. Put repellent on over sunscreen in the morning and again in the late afternoon. Around a family home, empty plant saucers, buckets and anything else that holds standing water, since that's where they breed. A May or October visit is still inside their season. If you're bringing children, our guide to repellent for babies and kids covers what to use at each age.

The State Department's advisory for Lebanon is Level 4, Do Not Travel, as reported; check the current advisory.

Where you're going

How the usual stops on a family visit compare for June–September.

city

Beirut

Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable

Inside the tiger mosquito's coastal range, so wear daytime repellent on balconies and in gardens. At night, sleep with the windows closed or screened against sand flies.

beach

Byblos (Jbeil)

Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable

A coastal town in the same tiger mosquito belt as Beirut. Bites are most likely in the morning and late afternoon, so reapply before an evening walk by the sea.

highland

The Chouf: Deir el Qamar, Beiteddine & the cedars

Disease risk LowBite nuisance Noticeable

Mount Lebanon villages on the humid western slope, where tiger mosquitoes reach about 3,300 feet (1,000 m). Family homes without screens get daytime bites; the higher cedar reserve is likely lighter.

city

Baalbek & the Bekaa

Disease risk LowBite nuisance Occasional

A dry inland plain outside the tiger mosquito's range. Sand flies still bite at night, and researchers have found West Nile antibodies in Bekaa residents and horses, so keep the evening routine.

Adding Cyprus or Jordan? Our Cyprus and Jordan briefings cover Cyprus's record West Nile year and the Dead Sea's night sand flies.

The Lebanon kit

Day and night protection for a family stay of a week or a whole summer.
  • Picaridin 20% travel sprays: odorless, layers over sunscreen and easy to reapply in the late afternoon. One 3.4 oz bottle covers about a week of daily use for one person.
  • A full-size backup in the checked bag for a long stay or a family. Daytime use goes through a bottle faster than evening-only spraying.
  • A plug-in vaporizer for a bedroom that relies on open windows at night.
Carry-on trio → 8 oz backup → Full rankings

What travelers report

Paraphrased from an older TripAdvisor forum thread and linked so you can read it in full. It's about 13 years old, so treat it as one snapshot.

  • Beirut and Jounieh

    A traveler planning a two-month stay in a Jounieh beach apartment asked about bringing a mosquito net. A forum expert replied that there are not many mosquitoes in Beirut and a net would not be needed for the Jounieh stay. The thread is roughly 13 years old. TripAdvisor ↗

Two rules outlast the trip. Any fever during or after your trip means a doctor visit, and so does a skin sore that won't heal in the weeks after you get home. Tell the doctor you were in Lebanon.

Traveler questions

Is there dengue in Lebanon?

There is no dengue outbreak, CDC's Lebanon page has no dengue entry, and Lebanon isn't on CDC's global dengue list. The tiger mosquito, which can carry dengue elsewhere, is established on the coast and in the Mount Lebanon villages, and it's a daytime nuisance biter in its own right. Daytime repellent covers both.

What is leishmaniasis, and how do I avoid it?

It's a parasite spread by phlebotomine sand flies, tiny flies that bite from dusk to dawn, and CDC lists it for Lebanon. The skin form can cause a sore that won't heal. After dark, cover arms and legs, use repellent on exposed skin and sleep in an air-conditioned or well-screened room. If a skin sore doesn't heal in the weeks after the trip, see a doctor and mention Lebanon.

Do I need malaria pills or a yellow fever vaccine for Lebanon?

No. Lebanon is on WHO's list of malaria-free countries, and CDC lists no malaria medicine for it. The yellow fever vaccine is not recommended, and it isn't required for entry.

Do I need a mosquito net in Beirut?

Usually not, if your room is air-conditioned or screened. Against sand flies, a closed room does more than a net, since they can slip through ordinary netting. In a family home that relies on open windows at night, a plug-in vaporizer and repellent on exposed skin help.

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