AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Caye Caulker Sand flies? Noseeums?

Skin So Soft didn't work for me either. I've been going to BZE for 15 years. When I'm down there, I have a ritual....as soon as I wake up, I spray my ankles with the strongest Off! that they sell (ya' know, the outdoor stuff with heavy DEET)!. Sometimes I still will have bites on my shoulders and neck, though! Also, I spray before I walk/bike or go into town at night. Say goody-bye to your perfume! Also, it depends on the weather. Sometimes (especially with the rain) they are worse.

Also, a good thing for those nasty itchies....Tiger Balm. They sell it at Walgreens, Eckerd's, Wal-Mart, etc. It's located with the ointments, muscle rubs. I swear by this stuff. Use it on no-see-um bites and mosquito bites and the itching stops immediately. If you don't scratch it, it won't enlarge and become infected - TRULY! They make a small enough size to carry with you even in your pocket. I think it's the menthol in it, but who cares as long as it works.

Remember, mosquitoes can be pretty vicious especially at night and especially if there's little wind. Tiger Balm....

Hey- when we were down last week I didn't use any bug spray at all and maybe got 3 or 4 bites the entire week- I actually thought they were from the ants I saw but I guess not. Do these sand flies get worse towards the end of the year? like a season thing or do they just get nastier when it rains? I'm usually a beacon of scrumptiousness to mosquitoes back home so I was pleasantly surprised that there weren't a lot of bugs on our trip.

They LOVE my hubby, so I stand close to him, and they go to him and leave me alone.
Actually, they go after the CO2 from your breath, so if you don't breath, they leave you alone. Or, don't breath heavily...hmmm...never mind.

For those of us who live here we find the bugs tolerable, but we do complain. Seems when they are thick we think they will never go away. Actually their is no bug problem for about 2/3 rds of the year. Sand fleas come with rainy season as do mosquitos. but they go away. A property that is kept damp or has alot of plants can keep the critters around longer.

I understand that dengue fever is rearing it's ugly head in Mexico again. Everyone there (as is everywhere else) is encouraged to get rid of standing water, spray themselves with repellant when they go outdoors, and do what is necessary to lower the skeeter count. That is very scary. The first time you get Dengue, it's usually flu like symptoms. The second time, it can be fatal. Puleeze, everyone, be careful, and try to get rid of anything that would harbor mosquitos.