Roatan- Just how bad are the bugs?

[berick]

Bugs love me. I've been to Roatan 4 times and been chewed up by noseeums. However, the worst I've ever been eaten up by bugs was Bonaire last January. The early morning rains were perfect for hatching mosquitoes. My only other trip to Bonaire was over Labour Day a couple years earlier and there were no mosquitoes (or rain). Consequently, I wasn't prepared for them. Just be prepared and the bugs won't be as bad as you expect.

Expect the worst and then you can only be pleasantly surprised when they're not that bad.

 

[Trixxie]

Different people will have different results even in the same place at the same time. This is why you have such a wide range of replies.

My wife gets almost no bites anywhere where we go, no matter the time of year or the time of day. I get torn up. When she does get bites, they are little red marks, nothing else. I swell up, itch like crazy, etc. I am usually better at using bug repellant. I have tried it all, cutters, deet, cactus juice, combo of all of the above, it just doesn't matter.

If you are one of the people who seem to get bites, you will be bitten. If you are one of the lucky ones who don't get bothered much, I envy you.

Roatan has some of the best bugs I've ever seen, but it won't keep me from going.

Later, Hawk.

I agree, it depends on the person. Guess we are allergic who get horrible reactions and those who aren't don't itch. I tried Picaridin (cutters) at first, got bit but they didn't swell up until the day after I got bit then they itched so bad I thought I would want to scratch my skin off, but the Cactus juice applied liberally 24/7 seemed to help prevent more bites than I already had. Roatan Man (aka doc) recommended to use Benadryl cream to help the itchies once I got back and it really helped! weired thing was they had all gone away but about a week after I got back they all swelled up again, worse than they did the first time.

We were there in May 07, going back in July 08, bugs or no bugs..... armed with lots of cactus juice and benadryl cream!

 

[hopefulist]

Try dotting on full strength Ora-jel if you can't stand the itching; it takes awhile to apply but numbs them right up.

 

[UnderwaterBumbleBee]

Speaking of BELIZE... I'm in Belize City right now and due to not paying much attention to applying any bug repellent in Ambergris Caye at the beginning of our trip, my legs are horrible. When the amount of bites and redness start to blend together into one giant red, scabby area about and inch wide by and inch tall it's not good... I just hope I don't have any of that nasty larvae stuff...

 

[hopefulist]

Ew - hope that doesn't typify the rest of your holiday experience!

 

[rtbmediver]

Hi Tammy,

Don't let the bug tales scare you out of diving Roatan.

Just perusing the threads, everything said in them, is basically true.

If you heed the advice posted and use common sense, you will avoid a lot of misery.

IMHO....the main things to remember are:

no see'ums luv bare flesh....to keep them at bay, use the philosophy of superior firepower with respect to the application of insect repellant, in conjunction with long light weight clothing, shirts and pants. One goes to Roatan to dive not to sunbath.

These pesky critters live and breed in the inter-tidal zone. Hence they are at their worst at low tide. Additionally, they have an airborne, wind assisted, flying radius of 4 miles.

And for some reason which I do not understand, they seem to bite more when I have salt water or salt water residue on my skin. So I take a fresh water rinse as quickly as I can when exiting from a dive, be it beach or boat.

Finally, people who have allergies and/or are allergic to things like bee and wasp stings seem to have a very bad reaction to sand flies. If you fall in this category, you need to come seriously prepared.

If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to IM or email me.

 

[Blueskys4ever]

I was raised in Florida. Now, I reside in Arizona. Both places have insects, so I have following to share.

Wear darker (not solid black) long sleeve clothing at night and at dusk and dawn.

Avoid consuming raw sugars, the sweet scent exits your pores leaving a trail for the insects to follow.

Try consuming garlic. This works for some.

I am planning a trip to BIBR in June. This will be my first trip to Roatan.

 

[ScubaJoy65]

My dh and I were set to take a trip to Roatan this year. I'd "kinda" narrowed down on lodging and had figured out the air.

Then, while standing in line at customs in Grand Cayman, we met this nice British couple, who were on a 1 month dive vacation ( hopping from place to place ). They had just flown to GC from Roatan, and said they absolutly hated it, they had multiple issues that wouldn't concern DH and I ( as in lack of nightlife etc ) but she DID look like a contestant on Survivor. She was literally covered in bites and said she'd gotten them all in 2 days! :11:

Now, I'm not one who gets a lot of bites ( or at least doesn't all swell up ) and bugs don't bother me much. I live in coastal SC so we have our summer bugs here, also. But she looked bad.

We're now going to Bonaire for that sheduled trip, but I can't get Roatan out of my mind. I really want to go.

Are the bugs really that bad? Do you have to wear spray all the time? ( Hate adding the chemicals to my body as well as into the water ). I've heard of so many folks who love it, I just wonder if you've seen any extremely bitten folks like that- or you've been there yourself?

Thanks.

So, did you end up going? If so, how was the bug-fest?

 

[ScubaJoy65]

I was worried too and posted something just like this before our trip to Roatan in August. I'd honestly say they weren't as bad as I had expected them to be and it was mostly towards the evening when we made sure to apply something before heading out for dinner. Husband and I came prepared with several varities. Neither of us liked the 100% Deet after a couple times of using it, I preferred something called Naturapel. We also used the cactus juice that they sell down there. Yes we had bites but as long as we took a minute to cover ourselves we weren't bothered too much. We also brought Calamine lotion just in case we got itchy. I wouldn't let them stop me from going back! We stayed at Anthony's Key and had a great time.

How was the diving? Was there plenty of fish and critters to see? Or was it all macro?

 

[Doc]

So, did you end up going? If so, how was the bug-fest?

She went 15 years ago. If at all.