Sand Flies in Roatan...

[Papa_Bear]

I have never had anything taken out of my bag at Roatan as long as it's in the checked bags! Next, April is one of the worst bug months through June! Use the highest Deet you can find and don't ever lay in the sand! That's why Roatan has all the wood walk ways is to keep you out of the sand! I have seen people come back with bloody legs and bumps on any exposed skin! The risk is worth it and something you can control some what! Never shower without putting on repellent in the bathroom! I use sonic devices, Deet, Deep woods Off, and anything except Skin so Soft that is like putting on icing for many! I would even consider a bug coil if I were going to lay out in a deck chair! It can ruin many a persons vacation! My son had the scars from his first trip in 1999 for two years! Don't get me wrong I love Roatan and refuse to let a little bastard fly keep me from going! I just wish the Government would import the Nematodes to eat the fly larvae!

 

[Doc]

Don't get me wrong I love Roatan and refuse to let a little bastard fly keep me from going! I just wish the Government would import the Nematodes to eat the fly larvae!

Let "the government" work on keeping the lights on, first

You don't have any videos of the no-see-ums? Get cracking, might be a big seller.

That's the first time I've heard of the baby oil deal, might be worth a try. As with any remedy, wash it off with warm soapy showers before you go visit the reef.

 

[robint]

Cactus Juice is another product that many people swear by. I have ordered some to take with us next month.
Having worked at our LDS for awhile, I got to speak with many people who visited Roatan and some people came home with lots of ankle bites, some people came home with only a few. All agreed that you need to use Deet or Cactus juice anytime out of the water. All the people we talked with said that they love Roatan and will continue to visit there regardless of bug annoyances. I don't remember a single person saying they didn't love it!

 

[vtminter]

Are some people more susceptible to them than others? I remember maybe only one or two days where I would have red circles where I had been bitten. After that they didn't seem like much of a nuisance to me and I have spent the last three summers there.

 

[Byte Me]

I have never had anything taken out of my bag at Roatan as long as it's in the checked bags! Next, April is one of the worst bug months through June! Use the highest Deet you can find and don't ever lay in the sand! That's why Roatan has all the wood walk ways is to keep you out of the sand! I have seen people come back with bloody legs and bumps on any exposed skin! The risk is worth it and something you can control some what! Never shower without putting on repellent in the bathroom! I use sonic devices, Deet, Deep woods Off, and anything except Skin so Soft that is like putting on icing for many! I would even consider a bug coil if I were going to lay out in a deck chair! It can ruin many a persons vacation! My son had the scars from his first trip in 1999 for two years! Don't get me wrong I love Roatan and refuse to let a little bastard fly keep me from going! I just wish the Government would import the Nematodes to eat the fly larvae!

my wife is gonna be FAR from happy if this is the case! We'll be well supplied w/ deet, cactus juice, yard guard, whatever it takes!

 

[Doc]

my wife is gonna be FAR from happy if this is the case! We'll be well supplied w/ deet, cactus juice, yard guard, whatever it takes!

Look, I'm not picking on you in particular, but I mean- look at how this forum is titled! "The Traditional Home of the Sand Fly". The Caribbean has Sand Flies on every island, but Roatan has the best sand flies.


This is why the island is so undeveloped~ not kidding! Even the new wealthy land owners get bit. After about two weeks on the island, my body stops welting up and I return to normal... most people follow this adaptation regimen.

PapaBear is right... Better living through chemistry! DEET (shower before diving), Benadryl Lotion or Benadryl pills, DEET stored in your dive locker and at your room's exit door. Don't forget or miss a dose. They are waiting and watching.

Sand Flies thrive in moist decaying vegetable matter. You find the most of this material in the wash zone of a beach. Hence the connection to salt water, but they are equally attracted to fresh water soaked plant materials like wood, leaves, decaying loam, crud, etc. Remeber- even Wolmanized (green) 2x4"s decay- and the sand flies like them, too. Even wooden walkways aren't safe. If it isn't the wood, it is the decaying vegetable matter trapped between the slats and underneath. Your dive locker area is prime dining.

Sand Flies in Roatan...
Has Roatan got their Sand Fly issue under control?

Looks like they'll be rated #1 again this year. I think they got this one nailed down!

The diving is good, the costs are low, but the Sand Flies run the show.

 

[Byte Me]

Doc,

No worries - I'm aware and have read plenty about the little buggars - I was more speaking to this bit:

"It can ruin many a persons vacation! My son had the scars from his first trip in 1999 for two years!"

 

[Isaac-1]

We had no problem with them at Cocoview in mid Oct, however there was lots of rain.

Ike

 

[Hank49]

Are some people more susceptible to them than others? I remember maybe only one or two days where I would have red circles where I had been bitten. After that they didn't seem like much of a nuisance to me and I have spent the last three summers there.

Like Doc says, you get used to them ...BUT, not all sand flies are created equal. I live in sand fly heaven at our shrimp farm and just deal with getting bitten probably 100 times per day. However, if I go near some of the outer cayes, sand flies attack that leave red marks on me just like a newly arrived tourist. Must be a slightly different chemistry in their anticoagulant?
I've looked at a couple under the microscope just to see what kind of steel trap jaws they have, to be that small and bite so hard. They seem to have a big, hairy probiscus (or whatever it's called) out of proportion compared to a mosquito.

 

[Papa_Bear]

The internal meds are a good idea to stop the itching! My Son was tender skinned to the little buggers and he blooded himself scratching the bits! Everyone is different and some hardly get bit at all! For me its a crap shot and I cover myself so I don't take a chance! Remember they seem to like bright colors as well so the traditional with cotton works and has for many years! I know locals that have scares from childhood, so they are not immune it seems that some are just tasty and others aren't..... I know a smoker who never got bit? So just be ready and have a great time, I love the Island and its diving!

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