CathyE
Contributor
It seems to be very person specific. I do not react to the sand flea bites, even tho I get eaten alive by bugs at home. My husband is not bothered at home, but is terrorized on holiday.
Bugs on roatan?
- Thread starter Scoooter961
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AdivingBel
Diver
We use deep woods off wipes. Easy to use and easy to pack. Rinse off saltwater as soon as practical after you're done diving/swimming. Avoid touching porous materials i.e. wooden benches and porch railings, cloth/rope hammocks etc. with untreated skin. Apply repellent often and liberally and not around neoprene. It's not hard and shouldn't necessarily be a reason to avoid Roatan (there are lots of places in the Caribbean with similar issues), but susceptibility to bites varies. I saw a guy that fell asleep in a hammock after diving without rinsing or applying repellent and it wasn't pretty. 
All IMHO, YMMV.
All IMHO, YMMV.
Deet % only refers to how long it works on your skin. 100% is the longest lasting. And no, it’s not toxic. Dengue Fever and Malaria OTOH can be much worse more than “toxic”. If you don’t like the sound of Deet, get Picaridin.
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Take the girlfriend instead.
I have to cover every inch of exposed skin in mornings and evenings with a deet or Picaridin product. The lemon stuff works on me only a short time. They seem to find my spots I missed.
The no-see-um's are the worst. For such a small bug, I get a big welt. Roatan has the worst no-see-um issue of the islands I havd visited. As long as you lather up before you go out in the morning or early evening, it is not too bad. You will only forget to spray up once. Still a great place for diving and really enjoy staying in the West end for easy access to food and great atmosphere. So easy to dive with all the dive ops in the West end and it has a good beach. You can't go wrong for ~$30 a boat dive (when paying for 10 dives for $300).
The no-see-um's are the worst. For such a small bug, I get a big welt. Roatan has the worst no-see-um issue of the islands I havd visited. As long as you lather up before you go out in the morning or early evening, it is not too bad. You will only forget to spray up once. Still a great place for diving and really enjoy staying in the West end for easy access to food and great atmosphere. So easy to dive with all the dive ops in the West end and it has a good beach. You can't go wrong for ~$30 a boat dive (when paying for 10 dives for $300).
I remember going to one of the late great Doc Radawski’s talks at CCV during which he bemoaned the fact that insect (read the biting types) populations had decreased and in his opinion needed to rise again to deter pesky humans from altering the environment.
If there’s a mosquito nearby, she will find me before anyone else so I never appreciated that part of his talk. Here’s what no-see-ums do to me in one of the CCV hammocks.
If there’s a mosquito nearby, she will find me before anyone else so I never appreciated that part of his talk. Here’s what no-see-ums do to me in one of the CCV hammocks.
No matter where I go, where bugs are suspected or known, I also pack antihistamines and hydrocortisone, the higher % the better.
Interestingly enough, I've found that a drop or two of Flonaze on the bite helps quite a bit.
The bugs on Roatan can also be not that bad at times, barely noticeable even. I think it is a longer term weather condition that helps but don't know for sure. Regardless, it's going to be random and a person should still be using all of the bug spray and following advice in this thread.
For wipes/towelettes, I like the ones with deet but a much nicer scent. These are usually marketed as a "family" or "child" product. I'd show an example but can't find on line, the one that I've used.
For spray application, I buy the highest deet available. This is because it lasts longer and I can go longer without reapplying.
Interestingly enough, I've found that a drop or two of Flonaze on the bite helps quite a bit.
The bugs on Roatan can also be not that bad at times, barely noticeable even. I think it is a longer term weather condition that helps but don't know for sure. Regardless, it's going to be random and a person should still be using all of the bug spray and following advice in this thread.
For wipes/towelettes, I like the ones with deet but a much nicer scent. These are usually marketed as a "family" or "child" product. I'd show an example but can't find on line, the one that I've used.
For spray application, I buy the highest deet available. This is because it lasts longer and I can go longer without reapplying.
I love going to Roatan, but I hate no-see-ums with a passion. I get welts from them. On our last trip, my lower legs got torn up, probably in the few minutes between rinsing off at the showers after a dive and reapplying in the dive locker. I normally dive in a rash guard and shorts. This past trip I only wore long sleeve rash guards and had no bites on my arms except for where I stupidly pushed the sleeves up. I have purchase a pair of leggings for our next trip and hope that helps. Picardin has worked as well for me as DEET at CoCo View. I have tried all of the "natural" repellents and none of them worked for me.
YMMV
YMMV
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That is the fix.
Same exact thing, way cheaper...
Need a scrip, maybe $4, same active ingredient.
Don’t go to tropics without it.
OP
Scoooter961
Contributor
Thanks everyone! I'll talk to the wife, and see what she wants to do... I appreciate all the responses!
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