Sometime ago and before I came to live in Cuenca, I had read various logs stating that Cuenca seemed to have very few bugs. I guess these comments are relative to where you are from. But I can assure you there are bugs in Cuenca.
I have lived in several areas of the city: In a house, in a ground floor apartment and now in a 2nd floor apartment.
While in the house, I experienced many flies. These were due to having dogs living in the house pooping and peeing on the tile-paved patio just below my bedroom window.
While in the ground floor apartment, there was the odd mosquito and the odd fly. There were two dogs living across the street but they had a grassy area in which to do their thing. So it maybe the grassy area that kept the bug traffic to a minimum. However, there were some other interesting creepy crawlies that came out to play.
At a certain time of the year there is a bug about 3 inches in length and looking like a scorpion but without a stinger and is quite frequent in numbers.
There is also a number of fairly large spiders that appear after a lot of rain. One of them I saw was a small tarantula (about 2" in diameter) and the other I don't know the type but again about 2" in diameter and with shiny black legs. The tarantula had hairy black legs. Darn I can't post pictures (only via a link which I did not want to do)!
Fortunately, all these critters prefer to stay outside.
In my present apartment it is very nice to have the window open at night. But, that presents a problem. Every night we get at least 3 or more mosquitoes which wakes me up and I use an electric badminton racket to terminate their existence since I can't easily see them at night.
I believe the reason for them being so prevalent here as opposed to the other locations I have lived is that there is a tienda just next to my apartment where, unfortunately, they are raising chickens. They most probably keep water troughs available for the chickens and that is likely where these little nasty's are breeding. What a GIANT pain!!!
In this location we also get a lot of flies. Again it is likely due to the chickens.
I won't be living here much longer.
I have also visited a place about an hour south of Cuenca called the Yunguilla Valley (I think I have the location and name correct) and on the road to Loja. In any case, at night it is a flying bug paradise. Keep your windows closed!!! I know of one Canadian couple that could not take the bugs and moved back to Cuenca. The elevation is lower and so the climate a bit warmer. I guess that makes the difference.
So, Cuenca is not bug free. That is for certain.
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