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Posted By: Alexie Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 04:38 PM
Hi all,
This is my 1st post. Maybe I should've posted this on the travel forum, not sure, but here goes. My husband and I are planning a trip in October, our 1st time there. We have both been completely obsessed with reading everything we could find in the last several weeks and have begun to think we may want to move to Belize in the next few years, if it's as fabulous as it appears.
My biggest concern is the roaches. I have a completely unnatural fear of cockroaches. Some have said i should try for hypnosis but alas, I am quite comfortable with my irrational responses when a roach comes a callin (have been known to strip completely in a group of people while thrashing and beating myself violently)!
So...what's the deal? Are they everywhere, en masse, flying and/or crawling aroud like mad?
I had thought that I would like to stay at a smaller, out of the way type lodging but now feel I may have to go with the noisiest, most crowded and probably most expensive resort on the island just to lessen my odds.
Please, someone, tell me the truth. Is my dream dead??
Posted By: SP Daily Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 04:45 PM
Originally Posted by Alexie
Hi all,

(have been known to strip completely in a group of people while thrashing and beating myself violently)!


Yer gonna fit right in here!!!
Posted By: JZB Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 04:47 PM
No worries, I have lived here many years and can count the number of cockroaches I have seen on one hand. If you are going to sleep above a not-so-clean restaurant, that might be a different story. You have nothing to fear!
Posted By: Moose In Belize Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 04:50 PM
The dream never dies. The sand fleas and mosquitos loved nakedness.
Posted By: Peter Jones Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 04:54 PM
Originally Posted by JZB
No worries, I have lived here many years and can count the number of cockroaches I have seen on one hand.

Mind you, they WERE all on one hand!
Posted By: Alexie Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 05:03 PM
Originally Posted by Peter Jones
Originally Posted by JZB
No worries, I have lived here many years and can count the number of cockroaches I have seen on one hand.

Mind you, they WERE all on one hand!

UGH! And I was beginning to breathe again!!
Ok, so seriously, good to know. I was ready to go into mourning and cancel my flight. Thanks ya'll.
Posted By: deadserious Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 05:11 PM
I haven't seen one roach, and never had a problem with mosquitoes. The only bug problem I've experienced is the no-see-ums. Get bit on every trip, though some trips worse than others.
JZB must stay in cleaner places than I do. I was in Belize for only the month of June and saw a bunch of cockroaches, the big ones people in Florida politely call "waterbugs" or "palmetto bugs."

In fact at dinner one night on a remote caye one about the size of a small mouse strolled across the restaurant floor and the co-owner jumped up, said "I hope no one objects to killing roaches" and squashed it with his bare foot.

But I agree that they aren't as bad in Belize as in, say, Florida or Louisiana, where they have those big flying ones that get in your hair.
Posted By: JZB Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 05:29 PM
Those are palmetto bugs, not cockroaches.
Posted By: Alexie Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 05:47 PM
Ok, let me clarify. I live in Southeast Texas where we call them roaches. When I lived near Corpus, they called them Palmetto bugs, in Fl they call them...what? Waterbugs? To me, they are 1 in the same, large, brown, flying roaches..ack, I'm getting chills just talking about them.
So, if I stay in an (over)populated area and don't venture into any remote areas (geez, there goes my vacay) then I might not see any...or many? I mean, is it just known that whatever hotel you stay at, you probably will have them crawling around at night or not? Only ones near food joints?
I had planned to do the cave tubing thing (thinking now that may be roach central), check out the ruins, visit some sanctuaries, and drink ALOT while socializing with othes in the evenings. Pretty standard, I would imagine. Please, if someone could recomend a mostly roach free hotel and excursion, I'd appreciate it.
Posted By: SP Daily Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 05:53 PM
A "No Roach" Motel?
Posted By: champion Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 05:56 PM
I have never seen a roach you could not smoke in Belize. Never seen one that crawled either. A few scorpions and tarantulas maybe.
Posted By: Alexie Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 05:57 PM
Oh, I'm not trying to avoid those!!!
(in response to a roach you couldn't smoke;)
Posted By: Moose In Belize Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 06:05 PM
It's a tropical climate. I saw a very large bug walking across the sand floor of a very popular local restaurant. The customer called the waiter and he stomped on it. Problem solved. You will find no-see-ums near the beach and probably encounter mosquitos if you go to a jungle area to see ruins. You will find more mosquitos north and south of town than in town. October is usually very wet.
Posted By: JZB Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 06:17 PM
Alexie, roaches are very few and far between in populated or unpopulated areas. For every one roach there is probably a half dozen lizards and birds hunting it down for dinner!
Posted By: Alexie Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 06:23 PM
Yeah!!!! That's what I wanted to hear, thanks.
Posted By: Peter Jones Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 06:27 PM
I was unlocking my bicycle yesterday and watched a dragon fly zooming around pretty close to me. Then I realised that the mosquitos, which have been really bad just there for the past couple of days had gone. Evidently eaten by the dragon fly.

Dragon flies and geckos are VERY good to have around.
Posted By: kris48 Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 07:01 PM
In Florida they are palmetto bugs, at least where we live. They only come inside when it's dry outside, seeking water. Yes, I have seen them fly, especially out of the air ducts. They don't hurt anything, and are easily squished. I have not seen any in Belize.
Posted By: sweetjane Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 07:12 PM
we not allowed to be honest here? while i cant say its common, we had a pretty big one where we stayed last month (mind you, ONE in 10 days), and also one at the place we stayed last August (again ONE, but threw him outside before our sons woke up).

both were large, neither flew before disposed of.

it is the tropics and i cannot imagine there is an island in the caribbean on which they don't exist. so would you never travel to florida or another island? my irrational fear is water over my head, but you better believe (after a moment of freaking) that i snorkel almost every trip.

i can't say big bugs dont creep me out, but cancel a trip because of one? now a scorpion, on the other hand.... laugh
Posted By: KC Jayhawk Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 07:15 PM
But, Janie, a large full bucket constitutes water over your head!! laugh (I'm in trouble now!!)
Posted By: sweetjane Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 07:33 PM
wow - mention big, creepy bugs, and look what crawls outta the gutter. shocked (paybacks, pal. grin )
Posted By: Alexie Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 07:38 PM
I can handle 1 in 10 days, or the like. I had just read several trip reviews last night where people said they had actually seen "walls full" of them and several said they were in their rooms each night, even crawling on them in bed.
For the record, I love dragonflies, amphibs, and almost all reptiles, just roaches bother me. Hmmm, maybe I was eaten by one in a former life...........
Posted By: kerry Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 07/01/09 07:52 PM
ihave been to belize quite a few times, and i can't recall seeing a cockroach...i stay at rubie's which is a "no frills" hotel...never saw one there....louisiana is another story!
Posted By: Maya House Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 09/30/19 05:31 PM
Scorpions are not really dangerous in Belize. This is a tropical climate. There will be bugs. There will be insects. It hasn't stopped hundreds of thousands from visiting and having a wonderful time. None of these bugs are out to get any of us. They're just like everything else on the planet, trying to get by. Don't look for them, and most likely, you won't see any. ;-)

http://biological-diversity.info/invertebrates.htm
Originally Posted by Alexie
I can handle 1 in 10 days, or the like. I had just read several trip reviews last night where people said they had actually seen "walls full" of them and several said they were in their rooms each night, even crawling on them in bed.
For the record, I love dragonflies, amphibs, and almost all reptiles, just roaches bother me. Hmmm, maybe I was eaten by one in a former life...........


Walls of bugs??? Dis post is a joke right?

Mosquitos maybe and di sand fleas be meen sometines but where da roaches??

Roberto
Posted By: Amanda Syme Re: Bug fearin beach lover here... - 10/03/19 12:23 AM
You are responding to some very old posts.
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