Are Sand Fleas Still an Issue?

[chillyinCanada]

Like capper, the bugs consider me fresh meat and can't get enough of my sweetness. I use the highest concentration i can get my hands on. Would rather have it lasting longer in the first place than have to carry around to reapply. I also carry the little single pack eipes around with me in a pocket or purse. They don't spill or drip and ruin your stuff. So if I'm out snd about and I've missed a spot or horror of horrors, forgotten to apply at all can remedy those. Also like the kid's wipes for doing my face. Make dure you wash your hands well afterwards.

I use benadryl and cortisone cream because no matter how carefully i spray , wipe and cover myself in mosquito netting, some still get through cuz they've just gotta taste my sweet juicy fresh meat.

I get bitten head to toe especially backs of arms. And yes i do slather on extra around my ankles, feet and calves .

 

[Kharon]

+1 on Deet (or the solvent) causing damage to dive equipment. I simply will not use it.

I have used the following products with great success numerous times. I got no bites while others looked like they had measles or chicken pox. I spray at least one set of clothes (usually one’s I would wear at night) with Sawyer Products Premium Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent Amazon.com: Sawyer Products Premium Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellent Trigger Spray, 12-Ounce: Sports & Outdoors. Once dry it lasts for about 6 weeks and will kill ticks that climb on the clothes. Hunters in the south US swear by it's effectiveness.

I use Sawyer Premium Insect Repellent 20-Percent Picaridin Amazon.com: Sawyer Premium Insect Repellent 20-Percent Picaridin Pump Spray: Sports & Outdoors as a bug spray. This product does not harm dive equipment or plastic the way deet does , it’s slightly citris scented, and drys rather than being greasy.

 

[KathyV]

I am also one of those "lucky people" who is a favorite target of biting, stinging insects and when I do get bites - I seem to be allergic to them because I get large welts that itch intensively and persist for a long time. I try not to scratch them but I find that I often scratch them when sleeping and then they start bleeding. If my husband gets a bite it itches him for short while and then fades, but not me.

I have tried every anti-itch remedy know to man and I am a new convert to the Allegra intensive anti-itch cream (see link below). It makes bites stop itching and fade away - it's like a miracle. For me it works much better than cortisol or other salves I have tried.

Allegra Anti-Itch Products | Allergy Relief From Indoor and Outdoor Allergies | Allegra

 

[diver 85]

For wife & I(25 trips to Roatan--last one in ~'04) it was the time of year-------summer(June-ish) BAD---------winter(Dec thru April-ish) not so........Interesting thing (I talways thought) was while we owned there(for 14 years) 2 of of 'kids' moved there & lived on the island---our middle child for 3 and a half years & the oldest for almost 2 years--they BOTH 'got used' to them after about a month or so.???.......go figure......

 

[KathyV]

For wife & I(25 trips to Roatan--last one in ~'04) it was the time of year-------summer(June-ish) BAD---------winter(Dec thru April-ish) not so........Interesting thing (I talways thought) was while we owned there(for 14 years) 2 of of 'kids' moved there & lived on the island---our middle child for 3 and a half years & the oldest for almost 2 years--they BOTH 'got used' to them after about a month or so.???.......go figure......

It must work like getting allergy shots that eventually desensitize you to the irritant.

 

[LarryNJ]

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The other option and my wife did this last trip to Utila. We met the new lady doc on Utila, she came to the resort and gave my wife a vitamin B shot ($30 for the house call) and it really worked.

Wow, I do not think I'll go that route but it's very interesting. I wonder if it's a vitamin B deficiency that makes people like chillyincanada & KathyV meat sweet.

+1 on Deet (or the solvent) causing damage to dive equipment. I simply will not use it.

I use Sawyer Premium Insect Repellent 20-Percent Picaridin Amazon.com: Sawyer Premium Insect Repellent 20-Percent Picaridin Pump Spray: Sports & Outdoors as a bug spray. This product does not harm dive equipment or plastic the way deet does , it’s slightly citris scented, and drys rather than being greasy.

I just ordered that too. I guess we'll try that in the mornings before diving and use the BuggSpray in the evenings.

Not if you're mixing it with Flor de Cana.

I had to search to find out what that was. I'll be sure to try it out when we get down there. Thanks for the tip!

 

[beluga2]

Permethrin is very toxic to marine organisms. Consider using it only when bugs are bad and diving is done for the day.

 

[laurenceh]

i too became immune to them, they still bit but after a month or two no marks, or itching. although i don't spend months at a time in the islands any more, when i pop down for a week or two, the "immunity" has remained

 

[RTBDiver]

+1 on Deet (or the solvent) causing damage to dive equipment.

What?? Why would you be using it in such quantities around dive equipment for? No see ums, Sand , mosquitoes are really not an issue on the boats and when shore diving I have usually sprayed the deet based spray well before a dive so there is pretty much no chance of it touching any gear in volumes that could possibly do any harm to equipment, Maybe some spray themselves after fully suiting up in dive gear but I betcha they are not even getting on a boat, they are getting ready to hop on that short 20 foot long schoolbus.

Reading some of this stuff it is easy to tell who has done a lot of diving in the tropics and subtropics compared to
those that have read about it

 

[chillyinCanada]

I had built up the "immunity" and then one trip began to have a stronger bad reaction. Next trip had a very serious reaction. Hoping it was a one time thing or some other insect biting me, I went back twice more only to again have serious disfiguring painful suppurating boils reaction. Haven't been back since.

Like RTB I don't deet up before dives. Maybe I should.