Bug bites appear after beaching in Cozumel??

We returned from Splendour with about 20 small, slightly itchy bug bites on us. I do not recall seeing or feeling any bugs or bites on me the whole time we were there; do they have those "no see ums" on the beaches there that appear gradually (the welts, itching) over the next few days???

The reason I ask is that I am really hoping we did not get eaten by bed bugs on Splendour!!! Cozumel is the only port we went to, so it was there or on the ship!!

Would appreciate any insights!

Im washing all luggage contents in hot water, vacuuming out our luggage just in case!

When we were in Roatan the same thing happened to us. We didn't even feel being bitten on the beach but after showers that night we had red spots all over our legs. We were told they were sand flea bites. They went away in a few days

May be sea lice. Check this out

http://www.fau.edu/safe/sea-lice.html

Sand fleas sounds like a possibility, the sea lice looks too severe to be what I have (but thanks for the info, had never heard of that!). My only worry is that I really didnt' even notice the welts/itching until about 2 days after leaving Cozumel????

I'm not saying that there isn't a possibility of bugs on the beach in Cozumel, but I haven't ever encountered any during the week long vacations we've taken there.

We returned from Splendour with about 20 small, slightly itchy bug bites on us. I do not recall seeing or feeling any bugs or bites on me the whole time we were there; do they have those "no see ums" on the beaches there that appear gradually (the welts, itching) over the next few days???

 

The reason I ask is that I am really hoping we did not get eaten by bed bugs on Splendour!!! Cozumel is the only port we went to, so it was there or on the ship!!

 

Would appreciate any insights!

 

Im washing all luggage contents in hot water, vacuuming out our luggage just in case!

I used to live in Cuba and this time of year we were worned about going into the water. Apparently, there are micro-organisms called hydroids (sp?) that float on the surface of the water. They would get under the skin and cause a rash/itching for a few days. Not sure if Cozumel has these, but this sounds a lot like what we were used to in Cuba. We were told to take benadryl and use calamine lotion for relief.

Can you say SEA LICE :(

They're not always there but tend to be worse after a norte rolls in.

What are sea lice, and do I need to be treated??? Would the bites continue to increase in number up to 3 days after leaving the beach?? No new bites since leaving the ship.

I had them in August after going to Coz. I even went to the med office on the ship--I thought they may be bed bugs. i never figured out what they were. they lasted about a week.

we have been in Cozumel the last ten years and have NEVER had a bug bite not ONE ,

BUT some friends of ours were there last week on vacation and they got bug bites BIG time , BRING BUG SPRAY , I feel this is from some chance because of the hurrican , They thought it was from the beach , so maybe wise to rent a launge chair , But I think the place they were staying at had launge chairs , So again in Cozumel bring bug spray , also Playa or Majahaul they were all hit by Wilma

ANNE

When staying in Cancun a few years ago we got these. We tried bathing in Vinegar which seemed to help, but there is really no cure. they are like our Chiggers and will eventually die, but do not scratch. The best defense against these is to wash off immediately after leaving the ocean, including in your swimsuit as they like that place the best, YUK. We leave for Cozumel next month and I am glad to know these are around so that I take the proper precautions.

If the bits come from something in the ocean , you could try to treat like lake Itch ,

before going IN water put baby oil on , johnson has a nice baby oil gel that is great after getting out of the water , DO NOT rub down as this can rub bug in that borrow into the skin , instead shower off , if there are showers , do not let ocean water dry on skin , shower off right away , then go back and enjoy the hot sun ,

This info given us from the DNR at our lake place

I got one nasty bite on my foot - so I suspect it's sand fleas. An anti-histamine cream helped.

Do these sea lice stay on your body and continue biting even after bathing, etc.??? I ask because I got new bites for 3 days after being on the beach while on the ship, then they stopped after leaving the ship. Went home, suspected bed bugs. Now, have been home for 3 days, and woke up with 4 new bites, same symptoms this morning!!!! Woke up scratching at 530 am. No new bites between leaving the ship and this morning (3 days). Other people mentioned sand fleas too. Do they travel home with you??? Not sure what to think of this!!! I have washed all my luggage contents in hot soapy water, was careful to try to not contaminate my home since I was suspecting bed bugs. Then, vacuumed out all my luggage and put it into the attic. UGGGH!!!

Have you seen a doctor about this? I would seriously consider seeking professional advice because of the fact that you are still having new bites. I wouldn't want it to get worse!

I've never had a problem like this before. But this cruise we are bringing all the kids. Should I bring a specific type of bug spray? I don't want my 2 and 3 yr. old daughters to have bites all over, I think the itching would make them miserable! I know the beach we are going to has freshwater showers, hopefully that will help? Thanks for any advice on the spray....

Do these sea lice stay on your body and continue biting even after bathing, etc.??? I ask because I got new bites for 3 days after being on the beach while on the ship, then they stopped after leaving the ship. Went home, suspected bed bugs. Now, have been home for 3 days, and woke up with 4 new bites, same symptoms this morning!!!! Woke up scratching at 530 am. No new bites between leaving the ship and this morning (3 days). Other people mentioned sand fleas too. Do they travel home with you??? Not sure what to think of this!!! I have washed all my luggage contents in hot soapy water, was careful to try to not contaminate my home since I was suspecting bed bugs. Then, vacuumed out all my luggage and put it into the attic. UGGGH!!!

I have never had sand fleas bother me after the fact. Sounds like it could be bed bugs!

Sea lice or sand fleas, very common.

I know they are common, but do they hitch a ride home with you and continure biting well after leaving the beach and ship???????

May be calling an exterminator if this keeps up!!

If you are from a cold weather climate , I suggest to keep your luggage outside when you return home this could freeze the critters out

I went to Sanibel Island every year and every year was bit by no-see-ums. They deposit a liquid on your skin and if you are allergic you break out. I was the only one in the family that broke out. It is an allergic reaction and it took a few weeks to totally get the reacation out of my body.

I have had a similar problem.

I was in the FL keys in november, as the days went on I too noticed these mosqueto type bites all over my legs. They itched like hell, much worse than mosqueto bites. By the end of the week I had probably 75 bites on each leg. It was aweful, can't feel them, and don't know when they are biting. The locals told my they were "can't-sees" or "no-see-ums" and were real bad because of the recent huricanes blowing all the seagrass up on the beaches (where these bugs like to live) I never was in the water at night just on the beach. They said if you live there after a month or two they don't bother you any more, and they come out only at night. As another poster pointed out, an allergic reaction makes sence to me. I was told they only feed on the tourists.

Needless to say I brought those bites home and it took a good 5 weeks for them to go away. So from now on if I'm on the beach and the sun goes down, the bug spray is comming out!

thanks, that's good to know! I am praying they are not bedbugs!! Did you continue to get new welts even after returning home?? Maybe not bites, but a continued reaction that looks like bites/welts??

Yes I did

I was in the keys for a week and after I realized what was going on I of course bundled up to watch the sunset. New bites/reactions did form over the next few days. Not sure if it was the course of the bites or my lack of bundling up enough. By the time I got home All the bites were good and itchey, and very ugly.

if you still have bites and welts that are festering take Benedryhl it will help ALOT ,

I had lake itch one time so bad , I festered with welts . benedrly took care of it and also soak in aveno in your tub , It comes in pakets