It’s early August, and across Europe, holidaymakers are settling into summer mode. Here in the Balaton Highlands, where we have a winehouse that doubles as a peaceful retreat from city life, I’m feeling especially lucky. Not just for the sunsets, the slower pace, or the cool evening air, but because we’ve so far avoided the Lake Balaton mosquito invasion that’s been making headlines just an hour or two southeast of us.
While Siófok and the surrounding south-eastern shorelines wrestle with overwhelming swarms of so-called “orphan mosquitoes,” our corner of the hills remains calm, breezy, and mercifully, mostly mosquito-free.
The Lake Balaton Mosquito Invasion
This summer’s Lake Balaton mosquito invasion has disrupted outdoor life near Siófok. Locals and tourists face millions of orphan mosquitoes. Unlike usual mosquitoes, these don’t bite, but their vast numbers make evenings outside uncomfortable.
Restaurants and cafés on Petőfi Promenade have dimmed lights or changed hours to avoid attracting even more insects. Some have even shut temporarily just to manage the daily clean-up of dead mosquitoes piling up under terrace lights and window sills.
The frustration is understandable, but solutions are limited. Hungarian law protects this species because their larvae play an important ecological role: they help clean the lakebed and serve as food for fish and birds. On top of that, conventional insecticides don’t work on them.
The Balaton Limnological Research Institute warned of a possible outbreak this spring but did not expect such severity. Siófok’s mayor, Róbert Lengyel, confirmed no legal options currently exist to control the swarms. Adapting to the situation remains the only practical choice.
Café terrace in Siófok swarmed by orphan mosquitoes in summer 2025.
Practical Adjustments and What to Expect
Adapt they have. Many businesses and homeowners are switching from harsh white lighting to warmer yellow bulbs, which are less attractive to mosquitoes. Others are relocating strong lights away from gathering areas to draw the bugs elsewhere.
Though these orphan mosquitoes don’t bite, their presence is enough to ruin a sunset dinner or lakeside walk for some. For now, it’s part of summer life on that side of the lake.
Meanwhile, over here in the north-western Balaton Highlands, we’re still enjoying mostly mosquito-free evenings. No need for citronella candles or lightbulb swaps – at least not yet.
A Personal Note from the Woods Winehouse
We spent last weekend on the upper terrace with friends, sipping chilled white wine and listening to cicadas while the projector cast an old film onto the side of the house. Not a mosquito in sight. It’s not always this idyllic. Living in Hungary has its fair share of bureaucratic swarms. But for now, I’ll count this as a small summer win. If you’re heading to Lake Balaton and want to dodge the buzz, consider steering northwest. Just don’t tell everyone at once.
For up-to-date mosquito news, visit the Hungarian site sonline.hu (regular link). Use a browser translator if you don’t speak Hungarian.
Thinking of buying your own holiday home in Hungary? In HOW TO HUNGARY: Budapest & Beyond, I walk you through the full process – from permits and property types to legal checks, renovation tips, and real estate realities. We had excellent advice when we bought, and I’ve pulled all of that experience together to help others avoid unnecessary costs and complications. It’s practical, detailed, and could save you thousands of euros – plus a few headaches. You can find it here.
Anikó Woods is a Canadian-Hungarian writer, technology specialist, and digital strategist who swapped Toronto traffic for Hungarian bureaucracy. She’s the creator of HOW TO HUNGARY: Budapest & Beyond. Since moving to Hungary in 2017, she’s been deep in the paperwork trenches – fact-checking, interviewing experts, and helping others make sense of the madness. Her writing turns chaos into clarity, with a few laughs (and wine recommendations) along the way.