Mite infestation after Norwegian's private island trip

It is day 6 now with mite infestation from Norwegians private island.

We were fine until we went there. The next morning, we noticed bites all over my daughter, then later I started getting bite marks. They aren't sand fleas like many might believe. Neither are they bed bug bites as we left everything in our garage. We've left all our luggage outside in the garage. Everyday I've been washing the bedding with permethrin, using permethrin on our clothes, on our bodies, using sulfur on our bodies....... Still getting bites. We also have had doses of ivermectin........the mites still are not eradicated.

I received additional bites after I had my arms in a bag that my daughter bought from their straw market. This is no regular mite.

Also, all of our clothes and bedding are immediately put in garbage bags every day and tied up till they can be washed with more pesticides.

From all of my reading, it sounds like a springtail mite. It is horrible and it can last for years and you may never get rid of it! It may be the mite that causes morgellons.

I am beyond horrified.

This is interesting. After my last visit to the private island, I woke up the next morning with bites covering (and I mean every square inch) every exposed body part that was in contact with a hammock that I spent most of the day in. Nobody else was affected (they sat in chairs) and it went away over a few days, so I assume I didn't carry any off - wasn't even aware that you could. I know I won't be spending any time on a hammock after that.. Do you know exactly where you picked them up (hammock, clothes strewn somewhere?) and how did they come home with you, do they come home on your body?

Robin

I wish folks when traveling abroad would take bugs and insects more seriously. Other countries take bugs seriously, many won't allow you to bring fruits and vegetables into their country. Australians go so far as to fumigate airliners upon arrival.

Many foreign countries don't spray as American cities do. After a rain sand fleas are present at the beaches. Bed bugs have returned even in the USA. Tropical paradises have bugs. I highly recommend investing and using bug sprays when traveling anywhere, including the USA. Every travel book and guide have the warnings...

Spray everything you bring back, your luggage, your clothes, and your body often... A bit of caution and prevention will solve most if not all of the bug problems... You will be amazed what one small can of bug spray will accomplish...

I'm sure you were bit by something but it probably wasn't springtails as they are nocturnal and they are not bloodsuckers, they eat fungus and molds.

Have you been to your Doctor for a diagnoses? Unfortunately some of us react to bites more than others. Sorry to hear about your problem.

I googled both "springtail mite" and "morgellons". From what I read the mite doesn't bite, rather it jumps by snapping a part of its body downward. Morgellons appears to be something that is still very much in debate within the medical community. Hope you find out what it is and get it dealt with.

It is day 6 now with mite infestation from Norwegians private island.

We were fine until we went there. The next morning, we noticed bites all over my daughter, then later I started getting bite marks. They aren't sand fleas like many might believe. Neither are they bed bug bites as we left everything in our garage. We've left all our luggage outside in the garage. Everyday I've been washing the bedding with permethrin, using permethrin on our clothes, on our bodies, using sulfur on our bodies....... Still getting bites. We also have had doses of ivermectin........the mites still are not eradicated.

I received additional bites after I had my arms in a bag that my daughter bought from their straw market. This is no regular mite.

 

Also, all of our clothes and bedding are immediately put in garbage bags every day and tied up till they can be washed with more pesticides.

 

From all of my reading, it sounds like a springtail mite. It is horrible and it can last for years and you may never get rid of it! It may be the mite that causes morgellons.

I am beyond horrified.

I guess my question is the same as others, did you go to the doctors or are you assuming the bites are mites. It doen's sound like they are and I think, after 6 days we would have seen others reporting a similar thing.

We have learned the hard way to use deet when we go to certain islands, hubby particularly.

Nita

I guess my question is the same as others, did you go to the doctors or are you assuming the bites are mites. It doen's sound like they are and I think, after 6 days we would have seen others reporting a similar thing.

 

We have learned the hard way to use deet when we go to certain islands, hubby particularly.

 

Nita

I am like your hubby. If there is just one sand flea on the beach, its going to attempt to vampire some blood from my body. Thank goodness for bug sprays with DEET... While one doesn't have to pour the spray on, don't be a miser either, spray yourself well...

Folks every travel book, guide, and magazine have the warnings. What I can't understand is why so many are surprised by the bugs?

How do you guys handle bug spray and sunscreen? Bug spray over the sunscreen? The other way around?

There is a bug spray/sunscreen combination that your sister-in-law buys. We use it for sporting events in the summer

I am also curious as to where you were on the island. I was on the same cruise as you and have no problems.

I did however hear people on-board the day after saying they had been bitten...

Under no circumstances can springtails cause a bite on a human. It simply is not possible. When they "spring", there can be the sensation of a skin prick (sometimes called an invisible bite), but since OP says that bites were observed on OP and daughter, the one certainty is that the springtail mite is not involved.

As others have said, OP should be consulting a dermatologist, and not Google.

Bill

Also, make sure that you aren't having a reaction to the pesticides that you are using.

Unfortunately, I cannot use a spray with DEET in it and then be exposed to direct sunlight or get hot and sweaty. It will cause me to break out in a rash wherever it has been applied. The rash lasts for several hours after I shower the spray off. Looks like I have some horrible disease, but it gradually just fades away.

I agree, you should really consult a dermatologist and/or a pest control expert to confirm what is happening.

Sunscreen needs 20-30 minutes to bind to your skin before it is 100% effective, so put it on your skin first. Suncreen needs to be applied every 2-4 hours, but bug spray shouldn't be used that often. If you used a combination product, be sure you have plain sunscreen to use for subsequent applications.

It is day 6 now with mite infestation from Norwegians private island.

We were fine until we went there. The next morning, we noticed bites all over my daughter, then later I started getting bite marks. They aren't sand fleas like many might believe. Neither are they bed bug bites as we left everything in our garage. We've left all our luggage outside in the garage. Everyday I've been washing the bedding with permethrin, using permethrin on our clothes, on our bodies, using sulfur on our bodies....... Still getting bites. We also have had doses of ivermectin........the mites still are not eradicated.

I received additional bites after I had my arms in a bag that my daughter bought from their straw market. This is no regular mite.

 

Also, all of our clothes and bedding are immediately put in garbage bags every day and tied up till they can be washed with more pesticides.

 

From all of my reading, it sounds like a springtail mite. It is horrible and it can last for years and you may never get rid of it! It may be the mite that causes morgellons.

I am beyond horrified.

Do you think it could be what are commonly called " sea lice"? Which are not lice at all? Apparently some people are affected while others are not...

Sea bather's eruption is a hypersensitivity reaction to the larval form, or planulae, of the thimble jellyfish, L unguiculata. It has also been reported to be caused by the larvae stage of the sea anemone, Edwardsiella lineata, and various cnidarian larvae in other parts of the world.

The rash is caused by the body's allergic reaction to the toxin injected into the skin by the tiny stinging cells or nematocysts of the larval jellyfish. These tiny larval forms (the size of a pin head) become trapped underneath bathing suits or in the hair of the bather. Each larva is equipped with a number of stinging cells, that can be triggered by simple mechanical pressure or by osmotic changes that occur with evaporation or when rinsing off with freshwater. The rash typically develops underneath the bathing costume, which is believed to trap the jellyfish larvae against the skin. As the swimmer gets out of the sea, water drains out of the bathing suit, trapping the larva between the suit and the skin. Pressure on the small jelly fish cause the stinging cells to discharge, releasing toxin into the skin. Wearing bathing suits for prolonged periods after swimming, showering in fresh water, and mechanical stimulation (rubbing with a towel) make the eruption worse.

Be aware that you can still be stung days or weeks later after washing and drying the infested clothing. The stinging cells are not actually alive and can persist until a particular physical or chemical reaction stimulates them to fire the stinger that contains the toxin.

I thought the sea lice season was from Mid-April to June? Seems odd if it is sea lice this time of year.

I feel terrible for the OP. I am personally very sensitive to any kinds of bites/sea lice, anything, so I can literally feel your pain! I hope you get it cleared up soon!

Michelle

I'm starting to itch just reading this. Hope you recover soon.

Here in Haiti, a little bit south of the private island, we also have something we call "sea fleas"-- I don't know what these would actually be, maybe the jellyfish larvae another person suggested? I've had them before and they lasted for at least a couple of days after I left the beach. I've had sand fleas, as well, but I recall them bothering me only while at the beach-- once we left the onslaught stopped.

To deal with the combo issue of sunscreen and bugs, we bring the full arsenal of combined sunscreen and insect repellent as well as the individual products to the beach. I am a major carnivorous insect magnet, so I use spray like other people drink water! :eek: I usually put on the sunscreen some time before we plan to go outside-- as another reader mentioned, it takes a while to set-- and then spray insect repellant when we get there. And I repeat often and in quantity. Sorry about OP's infestation, it sounds miserable and I hope you all get better soon.

I didn't experience the bad situation the OP did but the first time we were at the private Island I loved it and had no problem with anything. But a year later we were there and after about 20 minutes I started feeling itchy. I ended up going back to the ship after only about an hour cause I couldn't stand it. I was covered with little red marks (bites?) that itched. The problem only lasted a couple of days, I assumed they were sand fleas but certainly could have been almost anything. Certainly made me wary of beaches cause I hate using bug repellent.

It is day 6 now with mite infestation from Norwegians private island.

We were fine until we went there. The next morning, we noticed bites all over my daughter, then later I started getting bite marks. They aren't sand fleas like many might believe. Neither are they bed bug bites as we left everything in our garage. We've left all our luggage outside in the garage. Everyday I've been washing the bedding with permethrin, using permethrin on our clothes, on our bodies, using sulfur on our bodies....... Still getting bites. We also have had doses of ivermectin........the mites still are not eradicated.

I received additional bites after I had my arms in a bag that my daughter bought from their straw market. This is no regular mite.

 

Also, all of our clothes and bedding are immediately put in garbage bags every day and tied up till they can be washed with more pesticides.

 

From all of my reading, it sounds like a springtail mite. It is horrible and it can last for years and you may never get rid of it! It may be the mite that causes morgellons.

I am beyond horrified.

Please, please consult a doctor. You and your daughter's skin issues sound painful, and would have me freaked out to the highest degree. After seeing a physician please let us know what it is and what was done to combat the problem.

Ouch, I remember coming back from the beaches in Roatan with lots of bites. Only beach I have seen this. I do feel your pain on this. I am puzzled why it is continuing. It did take a week or more to get past much of the itch from those bites.

Sea bather's eruption is a hypersensitivity reaction to the larval form, or planulae, of the thimble jellyfish, L unguiculata. It has also been reported to be caused by the larvae stage of the sea anemone, Edwardsiella lineata, and various cnidarian larvae in other parts of the world.

 

The rash is caused by the body's allergic reaction to the toxin injected into the skin by the tiny stinging cells or nematocysts of the larval jellyfish. These tiny larval forms (the size of a pin head) become trapped underneath bathing suits or in the hair of the bather. Each larva is equipped with a number of stinging cells, that can be triggered by simple mechanical pressure or by osmotic changes that occur with evaporation or when rinsing off with freshwater. The rash typically develops underneath the bathing costume, which is believed to trap the jellyfish larvae against the skin. As the swimmer gets out of the sea, water drains out of the bathing suit, trapping the larva between the suit and the skin. Pressure on the small jelly fish cause the stinging cells to discharge, releasing toxin into the skin. Wearing bathing suits for prolonged periods after swimming, showering in fresh water, and mechanical stimulation (rubbing with a towel) make the eruption worse.

 

Be aware that you can still be stung days or weeks later after washing and drying the infested clothing. The stinging cells are not actually alive and can persist until a particular physical or chemical reaction stimulates them to fire the stinger that contains the toxin.

Nude swimming is the answer for these critters! :)

Nude swimming is the answer for these critters! :)

Love it. :) Now if only the critters had the refinement to bite just the young and beautiful!

Bill

Ouch, I remember coming back from the beaches in Roatan with lots of bites. Only beach I have seen this. I do feel your pain on this. I am puzzled why it is continuing. It did take a week or more to get past much of the itch from those bites.

the United States of America is a rich nation compared to most Caribbean island nations. We would have the sand fleas at Miami Beach and Malibu beach too after a rain if our cities didn't spray the beaches. Cities in third world nations don't have the tax base to fund spraying beaches...

Tropical paradises have many more bugs in their warmer climates. People should comprehend there are more bugs in a jungle...

I am sorry you are going through this! We were bitten by sand fleas once and now we do not get off at the private island anymore. Good luck finding out what is going on!