Sand fleas and Deet

[fateknows]

I've been following this thread for awhile. So far my desire to visit Roatan has gone from, 'stay on the ship', to 'must visit'.:)

 

Roatan sounds like a wonderful cruise port. Unfortunately, Deet makes me rather sick to my stomach.:p:p:p:p

 

Is there a place to visit this unspoiled island without having to worry about sand lice?

 

Thank-you in advance for the help.

[LHP]

My husband and son did an excursion (Sea Spi) and did not have any problems with Sand Fleas...however, I have read posts from folks who have.

 

Perhaps if you take it with you and only use it IF you see there is going to be a problem...and then only use it sparingly.

[cruisinterp]

At Fins and Flippers for me once I noticed I had been bitten it was too late and I had twenty bites. I wasn't on the sand either I was in lounge chair. That being said, I have heard people say that Avon skin so soft works well. Can't vouch for it but might be worth a shot.

[fateknows]

Thank-you for the replies. This was very helpful.

[Name Of The Game]

What do you apply first, suncreen or deet?

[qkslvr]

sunscreen 1st, then DEET.

[toothfary7]

Just wanted to let you all know we were in Roatan in January and got bit up pretty bad. My husband had such a bad reaction (he was the only one of us) but had to go to the dermatologist 3 times after getting home--had steroid shots and cream. Be very careful!!!

[fateknows]

Just wanted to let you all know we were in Roatan in January and got bit up pretty bad. My husband had such a bad reaction (he was the only one of us) but had to go to the dermatologist 3 times after getting home--had steroid shots and cream. Be very careful!!!

 

Ugh. That sounds like a miserable trip. Do you know where you were in Roatan when you got the bites?

[sooner_engineer]

We did Tabyana Beach on the western side of the island. It is absolutely pristine, and none of us (including my 2-year-old) had any bites. Our waiter on the cruise ship advised us to always go to the beaches on the west side of the island since every place else was full of various things that bite.

[Browezilla]

I visited Anthony Key Resort and didn't suffer bites. It too is on the west end

[toothfary7]

Ugh. That sounds like a miserable trip. Do you know where you were in Roatan when you got the bites?

I can not tell you which side of the island we were on. We had hired a driver through Victor Boden tours (highly recommended). We asked him to take us to a beach. This guy (Orsi) took us to a private resort which was beautiful!! We were the only ones on the beach. I think it was on the NW side?? Anyways, one daughter got about 10 bites (just small bumps), daughter #2 and I got none, and Steve looked like he had small pox. Its like mosquitos --either they love you or hate you. Then its the way your body reacts to the them. We are going back next year...he's staying on the ship.

[smygirl]

My husband and I were at Coral Cay in December of last year. We were not warned to watch out for the bugs - we booked a kayak tour through Carnival, then beach time there at Coral Cay. While we were waiting near the kayaks, I noticed a few TINY red spots coming up on my arm. Later, we were in 2 person kayaks (on the ocean - not in the sand), and my husband noticed several tiny red spots on my back and back of my arms - I did not even feel the bites.

I am very sensitive to mosquitoes in NC, however - he is not, and did not receive nearly as many bites from the sand fleas as I.

After the kayak tour, which was so much fun!, we lounged on the beach for a few hours and were the last to leave to go back to the ship. By the time we were back in the room, most of my exposed skin had bites - but by morning, they had faded and never itched. The few that my husband had did linger a few days and itched slightly.

I think it all depends on how your skin reacts to bug bites on how it impacts each person - I do not like using bug spray, so I would probably try a light/natural version or something like skin-so-soft next time.

This experience was not negative at all - in fact, I forgot all about it until I read this thread.

But I am accustomed to a lifetime of mosquito bites during muggy NC summers - hope this info helps.

[Landing151]

I too have been following this thread. Can anyone tell me that if you go to Fins and Flippers and stay by the pool are you still likely to be bitten??

[fateknows]

Thank-you everyone for the replies.

 

It seems that the problems with bug bites depend on the individual. Unfortunately, I'm one of 'those' individuls who are a magnet for bug bites. Then I itch like crazy for weeks. I feel for the posters who've suffered.

 

So, far I haven't heard any problems of bug bites in the Gumbalimba park. Is the problem with the biting bugs mainly in sandy type areas? Or maybe it is relative to how many people the bugs have to share. IE, in a deserted area the bugs are all over you. While in a crowded area, the bugs have enough people, that they don't need to feast on a single person? Any feedback would help.

 

--Now, I'm looking at an ocean snorkle and the park for our visit.

[TanIslandGirl]

I've been following this thread for awhile. So far my desire to visit Roatan has gone from, 'stay on the ship', to 'must visit'.:)

 

Roatan sounds like a wonderful cruise port. Unfortunately, Deet makes me rather sick to my stomach.:p:p:p:p

 

Is there a place to visit this unspoiled island without having to worry about sand lice?

 

Thank-you in advance for the help.

It may depend on the time of the year that you go to Roatan but....we were there in the month of February (Tabyana Beach)& never had a bug of any type bother us. We were armed with the bug spray but never had to use it.:)

This island has beautiful white sand beaches, dont miss it.

[BonnieLark]

I've been following this thread for awhile. So far my desire to visit Roatan has gone from, 'stay on the ship', to 'must visit'.:)

 

Roatan sounds like a wonderful cruise port. Unfortunately, Deet makes me rather sick to my stomach.:p:p:p:p

 

Is there a place to visit this unspoiled island without having to worry about sand lice?

 

Thank-you in advance for the help.

 

I have been many places with sand fleas and other pest and have never used Deet. I also got no bites. I always use Avon Skin So Soft. We spray it on first thing in the morning and then when needed. Camping for three weeks on a Caribbean island everyone else was covered with bites and I received none until I ran out and borrowed someone's Off. I just don't like the toxic effects of the chemicals in some of the insect repellants especially for children. Maybe it's just a fluke but SSS has never let me, my husband and ones I have loaned it to down. It won't hurt to try and if it doesn't work go back to the deet products. To economize we sometimes dilute it to a 60% SSS to 40% water. I usually just buy it from avon.com.

[trini_ras]

Avon website says that Skin So Soft insect repellant is DEET free

[LisainFL]

We were there on Friday, May 15. Did the Tabyana Beach day...no problems except I drank too many of the monkey banana rum drinks.

[BaseballMomof4]

Check Avon - they have a combination sunscreen/insect repellant that works great without Deet! I live in Florida and spend a great deal of time on baseball fields in summer when it is very wet and terribly buggy and I use it all the time and am the only one not swatting myself consistently. And bonus, it even smells nice!