Maya Key Private Island Resort.. Sand Fleas??

I booked the Maya Key Private Island Resort excursion through NCL and looks like fun. Though 2 days before my cruise, I find out that Roatan Island has sand fleas :confused:

I wanted to know if that is also an issue on this private island. I am bringing some Cutter Skinsations Deet free bug spray. I tend to be very sensitive to mosquito bites and wanted to prepare in advance and know what to expect. I had planned to primarily snorkel and use the beach area and then tour the rest of the island.

We didn't go to Maya Key, we went to West Bay in December and we used one application of Cutter and had no bites.

First, these aren't fleas, they're flies, like the little "no see 'ums" you run into during the summer months.

An application of anything with DEET will work. Some "natural" products don't work for everyone, and others are wastes of money (stay away from anything labeled "homeopathic", it's just water). Maya Key should be relatively free of these as they do rake the beaches (or are supposed to). West Bay beaches in front of some places may or may not get raked daily. But again, anything with DEET should offer protection.

Thanks for the info. I saw these bugs named both. Wasn't sure if they were two different things or the same.

Do you know if they will or can bite through clothes? Thinking I'll just keep my rash guard on the whole time.

Better safe than sorry.

I think some of the misconception in the name comes from Spanish speakers pronouncing the "i" as "ee" when translating to English. In Spanish they are moscas de la arena. A mosca is a fly.

One of the key areas to stay away from is shade, especially shade around palm trees as opposed to beach umbrellas.

Never had sand fleas anywhere in the Caribbean but on St. Thomas at Lindquist beach which has lots of mangroves. Got bitten through my swim suit but a rash guard would be better than bare skin. These little things are horrid and I still had scar tissue from a couple bites a year later!:eek: Use the spray!

Been to Maya Key also...they rake the beaches every day. You'll like it~Great snorkeling~!

West Bay beach is the bomb, lee side of the island, no waves at all. No sand fleas.

We went to Maya Key in early February and the fleas/flies (whatever) were horrible! We all had many bites! Stinging stuff in the water too! That is the only place on Roatan that we ever had a problem.

Just got back from my cruise and I have to say Maya Key was kept pretty clean.

We did have rain showers in the morning, perhaps that would of caused any sand flies to retreat, though I didn't see many of them. They had the sand raked and they would clean up any seaweed that washed ashore.

I only saw sand flies on the far side of the island where they were still raking up the seaweed and under the snorkeling dock by the beach/rocks.

I still used bug spray, so that could of kept them away as well.

I believe it is less about the presents of the bugs than it is just how tasty you are to the flying beasts. The other factor is how your body chemistry reacts to being bitten. I have seen people with nasty swollen, oozing bites on West Bay Beach where most of the sand is raked daily. I have seen people at the same time who looked like they had chicken pox.

I met a guy two years ago who figured he was immune because he lived in the midwest where the mossies were as big as cars.. I felt so sorry for him with oozing sores on his back gave him some of my repellent.

AS others have said, take deet, use deet and you will have far less of a worry.

Course you could be one of the lucky people who never seen the tiny black biting critters, much less get bitten.

One added thought, I take benedryl cream to reduce the itch factor.

Maya Key is my favorite place to snorkel in that region! I love the place and always spend wonderful days there.

Last week, November 23, I was at Maya Key for the day and I was, for the first time, devoured by sand fleas/flies. My legs, arms and back were affected and I am MISERABLE! I have huge whelps that seem to be getting worse, rather than better -- and the itching is TORTURE!

PLEASE follow the other posters' advice and take repellant and USE IT! I didn't and I'm paying a huge price for it now!

unfortunately, the sand fleas are common in Roatan because the island is a jungle. It is always humid, summer and winter, and they breed year round. They run in cycles though, usually worse a week after lots of rain.

We go to Roatan on week-long land vacations and have seen them very bad one time to nothing the next. We always always take spray to use when we get OUT of the water, after drying off. They love salty wet skin. Our favorite spray is Cactus Juice (order online) but some people use Avon Skinsosoft. Both work. Deet is toxic stuff, can kill the fish, so be careful using it if you are in and out of the water. I stay away from it as it burns my skin.

Either way.... the little buggers can be vicious or not seen at all. You never know.

Thanks so much for your info! Do you have any suggestions for what to do, other than the recommended calamine lotion and benadryl, for the itching? It's making me want to claw my skin off!

Thanks so much for your info! Do you have any suggestions for what to do, other than the recommended calamine lotion and benadryl, for the itching? It's making me want to claw my skin off!

We always take with us on any vacation, a spray bottle of benadryl. It keeps you from scratching the bites. Nothing else to do but wait until they heal.

Some people are more sensitive to them than others... my DH and I have both gotten bites but they healed by the next day, a friend gets bites and he looks like he has chicken pox for weeks. No idea why that is. Just DON'T scratch them, they can get infected just like any other bug bite. As soon as you get a bite, spray it with the benadryl, reapply as needed.

Thanks so much for your info! Do you have any suggestions for what to do, other than the recommended calamine lotion and benadryl, for the itching? It's making me want to claw my skin off!

Yikes! :eek: I feel for you! :( I tend to react badly to bites as well. Maybe you have an allergic reaction? I would suggest going to the doctor. I have used Prednisone to help to reduce the swelling, as well as oatmeal baths.

I hope you feel better soon!

Thanks so much for your reply and great suggestion!

I have sent a photo of my leg to my doctor and she is calling in a prescription for a topical lotion to apply twice a day. It is a strong cortisone lotion so, hopefully, that will help! If the itching doesn't subside in another day (it's been one week today since I got the bites), she will add a regimen of Prednisone pills.

Thanks again! Judye