How have the mosquitoes been?

[Mar]

Anyone ever try the Avon skin so soft repellents? What are your recommendations for repellants?

[jan]

Try Bounce dryer towels. Just gently rub them over your skin. I have tried everything and this works the best.

[Gromit]

I think the VI skeeters think of the Avon products as icing on a cake.

After many years of travel to the VI's the only thing I bring and use to any effect is Ben's bug spray with DEET. It comes in 30% and 100%. And keeps everything away.

It comes in a small bottle and a little goes a long way.

Others have their fave but this is my tried and true product.

And no, I do not work for or have any personal or professional affiliation with this or any other products that I recommend to the forum.

IMHO Ben's is the way to go.

[pipanale]

I understand, from someone there right now, that they're currently quite bad. I'm hoping they all go away in the next week and a half!

Not likely to happen though

[BRY1105]

I was there from July 3-10. The skeeters were BAD. Use plenty of repellant, like we did, and you'll be fine.

[Pia]

They are much, much, much better right now - almost back to "normal" (whatever that is )

Pia

[liamsaunt]

They are 1000% better in the past two days. When we got here they were brutal--we got chased off the beach and could not even sit outside at our villa. Now, no problems. There are still a few around but no big deal. I am using a combination of Off wipes, some west indian bug repellant I found at Chelsea drug (no deet), and Bullfrog mosquito coast sunscreen (bring it with you, there isn't any in stock anywhere on island right now). I only have one bite, and I am a huge bug magnet.

Oh, and I also bought a bug racket! It is very satisfying to use, I highly recommend one. ZAP!

[pipanale]

Oh, and I also bought a bug racket! It is very satisfying to use, I highly recommend one. ZAP!

Those are too much fun. They're also good on spouses

[jofus]

Mar, I would reccomend staying away from "skin so soft", especially in the islands.
It first came out when I was in the prime of my horse showing days and all the horse community starting putting it on their horses because they thought it smelled more pleasant then regular livestock flysprays (Avon sales people actually started attending horse shows to peddle that product). Within a short time the usage stopped because everyone's horses with light colored skin were getting sunburned from the oils contained in the product, and it faded the coat color of darker horses (fading coat is a big NO-NO in conformation classes). I'm talking MAJOR sunburn! I remember several ponies whose noses were acutually bleeding from the skin peeling off of them from just one day of usage in the sun. And it wasn't all that great at repeling bugs. I never actually used it on myself as I couldn't stand the smell of the stuff personally.

jofus

[Patrick]

Consumer Reports magazine recently had a comparison on insect repellants. Off and Cutter were the two top brands but it was of particular products that had higher DEET levels that were good. Off Deep Woods Sportsmans 2 came up on top followed by Cutter Back Woods. Interestingly, for those wanting a natural product, Repel's plant based Lemon/Eucalyptus came in fifth. Supposedly good for up to six hours.

I guess we'll find out next week how the Repel product works. 10 days on STT would be a good test.

[CindyM]

We've been on island since last Thursday and the mosquito situation improved drastically on Sunday/Monday. No mosquito problems for us at all since then and we are staying deep in the national park.

[onislandtime]

Mosquito's are doing just great, they said HI and really miss you a lot. Thay also said they can't wait for you to get here so they can bring all of their kids over to meet you.

ps: bring fresh blood.