Insects and Bugs in the Caribbean in March
Betty
I'm going to be in Vieques in March and am curious as to the
prevalence and type of bugs and insects and arachnids and other
creepy-crawlies on the island. Anyone have any knowledge they'd like
to share? I guess this could apply to all Caribbean islands as well.
I need to know how much Benedryl to pack. :)
Thanks much for the help.
Betty
Da Parrot-chick
bug-free cities in America. They're necessary to the delicate but
incredibly strong diversity of life there. You will see some bugs; the
variety of which will vary from island to island.
Expect to see ants and cockroaches anytime you leave food out. Geckos (a
gecko near the house is considered good luck) and lizards keep them in
check.
Some people are more susceptible to sand fleas and no see-ums than others.
They appear around dusk and dawn. They seem to ignore me. Mosquitoes are
here and there.
If it makes you feel better, pack a thing of Cutters (part DEET) or any bug
dope that has DEET. Don't bother with that Skin-So_soft or citronella
spray. The bugs love that stuff and enjoy smelling it. Bring a thing of
Benadryl too if you want--it's dollars to donuts you'll leave it behind your
next trip.
Honestly, Betty, once you're there a day or three you'll wonder how you
could have been so worried. Crickets chirping, butterflies flitting, it's
all part of the tropical paradise.
"Betty" <sybil...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:f5a595d9.03013...@posting.google.com...
Keith
can sleep with your windows open, as well as the sound of the sea.
Doesn't happen much where I live in Texas. Most of the time we have to
have A/C or heat on, and the skeeters go through ANY screen!
Believe it or not, a Bounce dryer sheet will keep no-see-um's away. For
some reason, only Bounce will work. Ditto on the suggestion for DEET.
--
__________________
Keith
It's always darkest before dawn. So if you're going to steal your
neighbour's newspaper, that's the time to do it.
Ken Tough
>I'm going to be in Vieques in March and am curious as to the
>prevalence and type of bugs and insects and arachnids and other
>creepy-crawlies on the island. Anyone have any knowledge they'd like
>to share? I guess this could apply to all Caribbean islands as well.
Watch out for sand flies around beach or creek areas in the
dawn or dusk. Locals would know best where they're worst.
Mosquitos are unlikely to be "debilitating", but it really
depends on local condition; one spot can be bad and another
a mile away won't see one.
If you're interested in seeing spiders, have a look around in
the grass for holes about an inch across. Later, in the late
evening take a flashlight out and peer down those holes.
You'll see a nice brown tarantula perched near the door of each.
--
Ken Tough
Mike Ramsey
>
> Believe it or not, a Bounce dryer sheet will keep no-see-um's away. For
> some reason, only Bounce will work. Ditto on the suggestion for DEET.
>
OK, this is something I got to know more about. Do you mean that using using Bounce in the dryer leaves the clothes, sheets, whatever with a repellent effect? Or do we have to tie them around our ankles? :-)
Mike
Keith
one nearby.
--
__________________
Keith
'I had to hit him -- he was starting to make sense.'
Jere Lull
>
>Mike Ramsey wrote:
>
>
>>Keith wrote:>
>>
>>
>>>Believe it or not, a Bounce dryer sheet will keep no-see-um's away. For
>>>some reason, only Bounce will work. Ditto on the suggestion for DEET.
>>>
>>>
>>OK, this is something I got to know more about. Do you mean that using using Bounce in the dryer leaves the clothes, sheets, whatever with a repellent effect? Or do we have to tie them around our ankles? :-)
>>
>>Mike
>>
>>
>Keith wrote:
>
> Ankles. Actually, on boats we put them near the hatches, or just keep
>one nearby.
>
>
though. We have used a single drop of 100% deet on each ankle to good
effect. A 2 ounce bottle lasts us for years and takes up nearly no space
in the baggage.
--
Jere Lull
Xan-a-Deux ('73 Tanzer 28 #4 out of Tolchester, MD)
Xan's Pages: http://members.dca.net/jerelull/X-Main.html
Our BVI FAQs (290+ pics) http://homepage.mac.com/jerelull/BVI/
Betty
Thanks for sharing your experiences with me! Bounce, eh? That's a
first... I happen to use Bounce at home and will have to take some
with me to see what happens. We are definitely stocking up on Off!
and the like... I'm not sure where I can find pure DEET but I will try
looking for that also.
The place where we're staying is reported to catch the trade winds.
I've heard these are helpful in keeping the temperatures cool and
blowing some bugs away.
Thanks again! I'll try and post something about my experience when I
return.
Betty
Jere Lull
>Thanks for sharing your experiences with me! Bounce, eh? That's a
>first... I happen to use Bounce at home and will have to take some
>with me to see what happens. We are definitely stocking up on Off!
>and the like... I'm not sure where I can find pure DEET but I will try
>looking for that also.
>
I found Cutter's Maximum Strength at the sports store. It's a little
bottle, easy to miss.
>The place where we're staying is reported to catch the trade winds.
>I've heard these are helpful in keeping the temperatures cool and
>blowing some bugs away.
>
We go when the tradewinds are particularly strong, typically 15-25
knots. That's probably higher than you'll get.
On Sandy Cay, pictured on our BVI pages below, if you walk the trail to
the windward side without protection, mosquitoes *WILL* chew you alive.
In the early evening, the mosquitoes really come out -- sometimes
hundreds of yards from shore -- and often thick enough to bother the
locals. They recommended a mosquito coil made out of fish oil that I've
never found off-island (and only once down there -- I think the locals
grab them all for themselves).
The trades DO keep it cool at night, though. We've only used the a/c
when we had to drown out street noise..
Noseeums & sand fleas seem to like the sand near the tree line. Nothing
seems to stop them; move a bit further toward the water. One couple we
talked to who got married on the beach under the palms found that out
the hard way: They got SO chewed up that seconds after the "I do"s, the
whole wedding party shed clothes and dove into the water to get rid of
the pesky things. They were laughing about it a couple of days later,
but at the time, the parents were scandalized....
>Thanks again! I'll try and post something about my experience when I
>return.
>
>
PLEASE!
Keith
concentration over 25% is a waste, so I cut it with rubbing alcohol 3:1
to make this strength. Makes a good spray, not greasy like Deep Woods
Off and the others.
--
__________________
Keith
"I want to rush for 1,000 or 1,500 yards, whichever comes first.
-New Orleans Saint RB George Rogers
Erika&Darryl
camped, some stayed in a small 'motel' with no glass or screen in the
windows, a few minutes walk from the water, chickens running around in
the yard, with a banana tree at the end of the walk, etc and I don't
remember insects being an issue at all. We sat on the beach till well
after dark looking at constellations and talking. I took no insect
repellent at all. Maybe five years is long enough to forget annoying
insects, but probably not if they were that annoying. I brought no
Benadryl either. My wife says she remembers being paranoid about bugs,
but can't remember if they were actually a problem. I think this also
suggests not.
Darryl
Betty wrote:
-----------== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Uncensored Usenet News ==----------
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World!
-----= Over 100,000 Newsgroups - Unlimited Fast Downloads - 19 Servers =-----
Rosalie B.
>We were in Vieques for two days in March 5 years ago. Some of our group
>camped, some stayed in a small 'motel' with no glass or screen in the
>windows, a few minutes walk from the water, chickens running around in
>the yard, with a banana tree at the end of the walk, etc and I don't
>remember insects being an issue at all. We sat on the beach till well
>after dark looking at constellations and talking. I took no insect
>repellent at all. Maybe five years is long enough to forget annoying
>insects, but probably not if they were that annoying. I brought no
>Benadryl either. My wife says she remembers being paranoid about bugs,
>but can't remember if they were actually a problem. I think this also
>suggests not.
>
You can have a bug problem and then not have a bug problem at the very
same place and same time of year and same time of day. There are
other factors.
It also depends on what you mean by bug and what you mean by problem
('it depends on what your definition of 'is' is <g>) I'm assuming you
are talking about biting insects, and not butterflies or bacteria.
To be specific -
If there is a breeze, it is more likely that insects will not be a
problem, whereas if the air is still, they will be a big problem.
Mosquitoes are mostly a problem after it has rained. If it is very
dry and has been dry, there won't be very many mosquitoes.
And of course if it is cool or cold, there's usually less problem with
insects.
So when you were sitting on the beach if there was a breeze and it
hadn't rained in some time, you probably would not have had an insect
problem. And the chickens may have helped to get rid of some of them,
as would other birds, or bats or mosquito hawks.
No-seeums - some species are around during the day and some at night.
The one that are out at night are more common. They are also affected
by the wind. They are common around the water edges. We've been
eaten alive by them (with also mosquitos and flies) and when we were
at the same place before there were none.
If you see a place without window screens (like London or the Cayo
District of Belize) it sometimes indicates that they don't need them.
grandma Rosalie
http://www12.virtualtourist.com/m/4a9c6/
Betty
I live in the Pac NW and I think it's a relatively bug-free/sheltered place.
Thanks again, everyone!
Betty
Erika&Darryl <edp...@pivot.net> wrote in message news:<3E40A09D...@pivot.net>...