Skeeter update?

Travel discussion for St. John
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DaleAndGreg
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Skeeter update?

Post by DaleAndGreg »

How are things going with the mosquitoes? We're used to normal quantities of no-see-ums and mosquitoes at dusk and dawn, but never had a problem during the day any time we've been there. We are arriving on Friday and we wonder if things have calmed down some since what seems like a huge barrage of them in May. I just want to know if we need to wear our long johns... :)
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Gromit
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Post by Gromit »

A couple of days last week we found that Francis and Maho were a bit buggy but nothing that wasn't solved with a little Bens bug spray.

Otehrwise they seemed to be a normal levels from all of my past trips.

Just stick with the DEET and you'll be fine.
*Another fine scatterbrained production
djmom
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Post by djmom »

We just returned, last night :(

I didn't think the skeeters were any worse than any other summer, other than maybe the first day or two that we got there. By the time we left, I would say they were what we are used to.

That said, we got many fewer bites this year. That was accomplished by putting on bug spray first thing in the morning and after showering. I had never made daytime bug spray a priority but hearing how bad the bugs were, I decided to do it. Instead of coming home with 40-60 bites, I probably have less than 10-same with my daughter who usually gets eaten alive.

More or less adopting a preventive apporach intead of waiting to get bitten before applying the spray. I used to kind of wait. So if you do that for 10 days, well, that adds up to lots of bites.

We also did have a villa high on Calabash boom, which I am sure helped a great deal.

The bad part? The high strength deet preparations-30 percent and up- really painful if it gets in the eyes. Happened to me a lot.
"Sponges grow in the ocean...I wonder how much deeper it would be if that didn't happen."
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lovindislands
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Skeeters

Post by lovindislands »

My husband & I were there 6/13-6/18 & the mosquitoes were o.k. We spent some time on Hawksnest Beach during the day & didn't have a problem. The only time we really noticed a problem was at night, when dining outside.
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JED202
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Post by JED202 »

Just back last nite. Bugs no worse than usual. Almost none on beaches(Trunk, Cinnamon, Hawksnest, Gibney). A few at dusk easily taken care of with spray. I know the Spring rains brought the skeeters, but it also greened upp the isalnd like we've not seend before!
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nothintolose
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Post by nothintolose »

The only place we found them bad was Maho any time we went there. They were even swarming our heads when we were preparing to snorkel. On a night snorkel there (well after dusk) they were STILL trying to get us...don't those suckers sleep.

They were at Francis too but worse at Maho, but I'll take mosquitos on STJ any time over mosquitos here.
"Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die" - Dave Matthews Band
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flip-flop
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Post by flip-flop »

nothintolose wrote:The only place we found them bad was Maho any time we went there. They were even swarming our heads when we were preparing to snorkel. On a night snorkel there (well after dusk) they were STILL trying to get us...don't those suckers sleep.

They were at Francis too but worse at Maho, but I'll take mosquitos on STJ any time over mosquitos here.
They were just there to stalk you on my behalf.

;-)

Skeeters this trip were moderate at Maho & Francis, NONE at Honeymoon - too much of a breeze & I suspect they might spray/treat at Caneel, none at Salt Pond.

They were absolutely NOTHING compared to last August when I thought the mini flip-flop would literally be carried away by them.
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nothintolose
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Post by nothintolose »

Flip flop...no wonder. They were all over us when we saw you at Maho. Our car was full of them when we finally got out of there.

Odd thing is...most of them were not biting as much as running into you :lol:
"Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die" - Dave Matthews Band
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flip-flop
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Post by flip-flop »

Funny thing is my hubby didn't even bat an eye when I slammed on the brakes and threw the car in reverse to say hi!

He knows I am insane. My mom was funnier, "How does everyone here know you?" after our encounter at Sweet Plantains.

Don't even try to run from me... ;-)
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nothintolose
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Post by nothintolose »

My group (except for Cat) were wondering the same kinds of things :lol:
"Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die" - Dave Matthews Band
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