Are there mosquitoes in Milan and Lake Como? Yes, more in the city than by the lake.
- No CDC travel notice for mosquito-borne disease
Milan's tiger mosquitoes bite by day in courtyards and parks, and Navigli evenings have a reputation for bites. Lombardy led Italy in West Nile cases in 2026, with 60 in Milano province, while Como and Lecco provinces had 6 between them. Repellent and an air-conditioned room cover it.
Yes. Milan has some of Italy's densest tiger mosquitoes, which bite by day in courtyards, parks and at outdoor tables, and night biters come in through open windows. Lombardy led Italy in West Nile cases in 2026, with 60 in Milano province, while Como and Lecco provinces around the lake had 6 between them. Repellent from the morning on in the city, a coat at dusk by the lake and an air-conditioned room at night cover most of it.
West Nile in Lombardy, province by province
Italy's national health institute (ISS) counted 185 locally acquired West Nile cases in Lombardy in 2026, in data to October 28, the most of any Italian region and more than double its 91 in 2025. Milano province had 60, 36 of them neuroinvasive, and only Roma (72) and Padova (63) had more. The lake provinces had few. Lecco province, on the eastern shore, had 4 and Como 2, and Varese, home to Malpensa airport, had 5. ISS reports cases by province only, so Milano's 60 can't be placed in the city or its suburbs, and Como's and Lecco's can't be placed on the lake.
West Nile travels on night-biting Culex mosquitoes. Most infections cause no symptoms, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) notes that severe illness falls mostly on people 65 and older, who should take the evening routine most seriously.
The tiger mosquito brought a 2-case local dengue cluster to suburban Garbagnate Milanese, with onsets from August 24 to September 5, and it has closed. Lombardy has had bigger years, including a 41-case outbreak centered on Castiglione d'Adda in Lodi province in 2023. There was no local chikungunya in Lombardy in 2025 or 2026. CDC has no travel notice for Italy and recommends no malaria medicine, and the yellow fever vaccine is neither recommended nor required. Our Italy briefing covers the rest of the country.
Milan by day, the lake at dusk
ECDC names much of Lombardy among Italy's areas with the densest tiger mosquitoes. In Milan they bite in courtyards, parks and at outdoor tables, mostly in the morning and late afternoon, so repellent goes on over sunscreen before the day's sightseeing and again before an aperitivo. The Navigli canals have a reputation for evening bites. After dark the night biters come through open windows, so book air conditioning and keep the windows shut. Our daytime-mosquito routine has the full schedule.
Lake Como tends to be milder, with a slightly cooler climate and little stagnant water. Shaded villa gardens such as Villa Carlotta, Villa del Balbianello and Villa Melzi, and the wooded paths above the villages, tend to bite more than the waterfront. Carry repellent for garden visits and lakeside dinners, and pack light long layers for the evening.
June at the lake is easiest
Bites run from June through August or September, and a long, warm autumn can stretch the season. Infections come late. Italy's 2026 West Nile cases peaked at the end of August, and the Garbagnate dengue cases fell ill between late August and early September. June at the lake is the easiest combination, and a late-August week in Milan is when the evening routine matters most.
Where you're going
How the city and three lake bases compare for a June–September trip.
Milan: Duomo, Brera & the Navigli
Milano province had 60 West Nile cases in 2026, up from 25 in 2025, counted for the province as a whole, city and suburbs together. Repellent goes on before an aperitivo along the Navigli, and the windows stay shut at night.
Bellagio
Como province had 2 West Nile cases in 2026 and no local dengue or chikungunya. The cooler lake climate tends to keep mosquitoes down, so one coat at dusk on a lakeside terrace likely covers it.
Varenna
On the eastern shore in Lecco province, which had 4 West Nile cases in 2026 and 1 in 2025. Garden and lakefront walks at dusk are the likeliest bite time.
Menaggio, Tremezzo & the villa gardens
Como province figures apply. Shaded villa gardens such as Villa Carlotta and the wooded paths above the villages tend to bite more than the waterfront, so put repellent on before a garden visit.
Going on to another lake or the lagoon? Our Lake Garda & Verona and Venice briefings cover them.
The Milan & Lake Como kit
- Picaridin 20% travel sprays: odorless in the summer heat and comfortable over sunscreen. One 3.4 oz bottle covers about a week for one person.
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus 30%: the plant-based option among EPA-registered repellents. Not for children under 3.
- A plug-in vaporizer for a city room with no air conditioning and no screens.
What travelers report
Paraphrased from TripAdvisor threads and reviews and linked so you can read them in full. None is dated, and two are single reviews of a hotel and a neighborhood.
- Lake Como (woodland walks, gardens, villages) · early June
A visitor in warm, sunny early-June weather said they were badly bitten on walks in woodland areas and gardens and less so in the villages, though there were still some. A reply said mosquitoes are worst from June to August but that the lake's slightly cooler climate and lack of stagnant water make the problem smaller than in other areas. TripAdvisor ↗
- Milan and Venice · June to September
In a thread about mosquitoes in Milan and Venice, posters said they peak from June through September, and one noted that a long, warm autumn can stretch the season. TripAdvisor ↗
- Navigli, Milan · summer
A reviewer of the Navigli canal district titled the review 'take the mosquito repellent in summer' and said the bars there stock plenty of repellent in summer. TripAdvisor ↗
- Hotel Garden, Milan
A guest titled the review 'Mosquito in the room' and complained that the room was infested with mosquitoes. TripAdvisor ↗
One rule outlasts the trip. Any fever during or after your trip, especially with headache, rash or joint pain, means a doctor visit, and you tell the doctor you were bitten by mosquitoes in Lombardy.
Traveler questions
Is West Nile a risk in Milan?
It is present. Italy's national health institute (ISS) counted 60 locally acquired cases in Milano province in 2026, in data to October 28, up from 25 in 2025, out of 185 in Lombardy, the most of any region. The count covers the whole province, city and suburbs together. Most infections cause no symptoms, and ECDC notes that severe illness falls mostly on people 65 and older. The carriers bite in the evening and at night, so repellent before dinner and a closed, air-conditioned room cover most of the exposure.
Are there mosquitoes at Lake Como?
Yes, though fewer than in Milan. The lake's cooler climate and lack of stagnant water tend to keep numbers down, and bites come mostly in shaded villa gardens, on wooded paths and at lakeside dinners at dusk. Como province had 2 West Nile cases in 2026 and Lecco province, on the eastern shore, had 4, with no local dengue or chikungunya. Repellent before a garden visit or an evening outside covers it.
Is there dengue in Milan?
There was a small cluster in 2026. Two locally acquired cases in Garbagnate Milanese, in Milan's suburbs, fell ill between August 24 and September 5, and ECDC lists the cluster as closed. Lombardy also had a 41-case outbreak in Lodi province in 2023. CDC has no dengue notice for Italy. The tiger mosquito spreads dengue in daylight, so daytime repellent is the precaution.
Do I need vaccines for hiking around Lake Como?
Not for mosquitoes. CDC recommends no malaria medicine for Italy, and the yellow fever vaccine is neither recommended nor required. CDC does recommend the tick-borne encephalitis vaccine for travelers with extensive tick exposure in the parts of Italy where the disease occurs, without naming those areas. If long hikes in the mountains above the lake are on your plan, ask a travel clinic 4–6 weeks before departure whether it applies to your route.
Sources
Health authorities, surveillance reports and news coverage of official bulletins used for this briefing, last checked October 2026. Traveler reports are linked where they appear. This page summarizes public-health guidance and is not medical advice.
- CDC destination page for travelers
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- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
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- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
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- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
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- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control