Bugs of Turneffe Atoll

[deco_martini]

I almost forgot to find out what kind of insect repellants I need for a trip to Blackbird Caye on Turneffe Atoll.

Does anyone have a magic number for % DEET to bring? Also, should I bring mosquito coils for my room? Anything else?

 

[peterbj7]

Contrary to what some people say you don't need a high concentration of DEET. One of the OFF products only has 25% and works as well as others with 75%. As DEET is nasty stuff I'd certainly go for the lower.

I'd be inclined to have something like that for personal use, plus a can of a room aerosol. Coils do work, but they take quite a while to have an effect, whereas the cans are almost instantaneous.

Bring some soothing body lotion for when you have been bitten (note "when", not "if"). Your main problem won't be disease-carrying mosquitos but irritant sand flies. If you can, in late-ish afternoon shower/rinse in fresh water (they love the taste of salt) and once dry spray your feet and legs pretty thoroughly. Plus any other exposed areas.

Eating garlic repels the bugs, though it may also repel your companions!

 

[deco_martini]

Well, research shows that the effectiveness of DEET tapers off at 50%. There is however a big difference between 5 and 25. I was just seeing what people recommended.

Edited to add: After visiting Honduras a few years back I became well aware of the sand flies and they are primary concern now too.

 

[sambolino44]

Does anyone have a magic number for % DEET to bring? Also, should I bring mosquito coils for my room? Anything else?

0%!

I hate DEET, or any chemical where either the molecule or the name in fine print is longer than a couple of inches. I used REPEL Lemon Eucalyptus on my last trip to Belize, and it worked fine. No problems with the bugs. It smells a lot better, and doesn't dissolve my clothes or plastic stuff. For sand fleas a good thing to use is Avon Skin-So-Soft lotion. If you can stand the smell.

 

[deco_martini]

0%!

I hate DEET, or any chemical where either the molecule or the name in fine print is longer than a couple of inches. I used REPEL Lemon Eucalyptus on my last trip to Belize, and it worked fine. No problems with the bugs. It smells a lot better, and doesn't dissolve my clothes or plastic stuff. For sand fleas a good thing to use is Avon Skin-So-Soft lotion. If you can stand the smell.

In double-blind tests, avon skin-so-soft was one of the least effective insect repellents. I suspect a zealous Avon rep made up that urban legend years ago since nobody was buying the stuff.

Repellents are easy to test in a controlled environment. I think the Avon product was only effective for around 10 minutes or so compared to DEET based products which can last for hours.

No reason to fear long names since your genetic makeup is composed of Deoxyribonucleic acid and your body is 80 percent dihydrogen monoxide.

I had not however heard of oil of lemon eucalyptus. Repel claims it lasts up to 6 hours and it is endorsed by the CDC along with DEET. Thanks for the tip.

 

[sambolino44]

OK, I haven't actually used Skin-So-Soft since Marine Corps boot camp, and at the time I was probably a little too distracted to notice if it worked or not. That reminds me of another bug barrier I learned about in the Marine Corps, though: pantyhose!

 

[Papa_Bear]

I should sue Skin so Soft! I used it in Roatan and almost lost my legs to the Sand Flies and no see'ms it attracted the little bastards because "Smelled so good" it attracted from all over the island! Stick with DEET or the Lemon!

 

[Thatch Caye Belize]

One time when I was out at Blackbird Caye the mosquitoes got so thick that they blotted out the sun. People were actually choking on them when they swarmed up our noses and I tried to escape them by snorkelling out to the reef a mile or so off shore and they followed me out there and were choking my breathing through my snorkel. I will never forget spitting them out of my mouth to keep from choking. Now things are better since they cleared more land for the breeze to pass through, but they still close down Blackbird Caye during the middle of the rainy season when the mosquitoes are at their worst. When there is a strong breeze, the mosquitoes go hide, but when the breeze dies, it can be quite unsettling. Deet worked till it mingled with sweat during those times, which usually was about less than an hour.

 

[deco_martini]

Well, I went to the caye since I opened this thread Thatch. Didn't get bit by a single noseeum. Didn't wear much DEET and not very often. Got bit by a mosquito once or twice (and then applied DEET).

 

[Diver Lori]

Off Spray of around 27% worked great at Turneffe Island Lodge a couple years ago, we also used Ultrathon lotion at 30% successfully too.

Our ritual in the morning was to look out of our cabana to see if the air was still......that determined if we doused ourselves before exiting our cabana daily.