Alaska's Un-Official State Bird

If you ask an Alaskan in the summertime, "What's the State Bird?"

Their answer will likely be, "Mosquitoes!"

Although this is mostly a joke, like most things Alaskan, the mosquitoes are big. And not just in size, but in numbers. The estimates are around 17 trillion of them.

(Fun Fact: If you could weigh all the mosquitoes in the state, they would tip the scales at around 96 million pounds.)

The worst time of year for mosquitoes are mid-to-late June through July. This is right after they hatch and they are very active. They are more common near water sources such as marshes, lakes and rivers; which is most of the Alaskan wilderness. 

Even the animals don't like them. Caribou have been known to escape mosquitoes by diving into water and even giving up feeding in order to get away from them.

﻿So if you plan a visit to Alaska in the summertime make sure you pack your bug repellent or mosquito net!