Skeeters

[toni]

Minde and I are arriving next week for our first "just girls" trip. (Side note, we met via this forum, thank you Anthony! )

How's the mosquito situation? I haven't been paying attention to the amount of rain St. John has been receiving. Husband and I came down to the BVIs in November after a big rain, yikes, but we were skeeter targets.

Thanks!

[savvy]

I have gotten 1 mosquito bite in the 5 days we have been here so far. There have been some short showers leaving a few puddles. We were told that after the initial outbreak of chikungunya this fall, there haven't been cases reported recently. We sprayed our legs with Natrapel, a natural repellent, which we bought on island.

[Caw954s]

I have a lot of bites! I saw mosquitoes in our villa, but I don't think my bites are from mosquitoes, maybe sand fleas? No see-ums? I'm not sure, but I am still scratching the same bites after being home for a couple of days. They remind me of chigger bites, but I don't think they have chiggers in STJ?

[mindehankins]

Can't wait! This is the first trip ever, that I haven't watched the Spice Cam for weather updates as in mosquito planning.....
CAW - no see um bites itch like the dickens, and you don't feel yourself getting them. I'm going to guess that's what you've got!

[david@va.beach]

noseeums can be bad in the late afternoons and evenings...I'd wear long pants and socks..some beaches can get really bad late in the day..I would avoid lotions and fragrences.

[star2515]

We were there last week and they were worse than when we normally go in the summer. I didn't get bit up to bad, but my FIL was a magnet to them. He was like Caw954, in that he was itching up pretty bad and said they felt like chigger bites. It probably didn't help him we'd get to the beach by 8.30am every morning to beat the masses, and the no see'ems would still be out. Lameshur seemed to be the worst by far in my opinion. There wasn't much of a breeze any day we were there, which didn't help either.

[iheartsj]

Skeeter population will vary by location. We live on Bordeaux and have maybe seen 5 skeeters in the last week. Neighbors who live just down the road complained to me that the skeeters have been horrible at their place.
It has a lot to do with brush, standing water, breeze, etc. Skeeters are always worse at seaside at dusk.

My recommendation is that you bring long pants and long sleeve shirt. My girlfriend keeps a couple sarongs in her purse. She uses them to cover her legs and arms if the skeeters attack.

[Caw954s]

Thanks minde and star, that makes me feel better! I've been looking online hoping I didn't get into some bad bugs and brought them home ! The bites are only where I had exposed skin and many on my ankles. They are still itchy! I am sensitive to some bug bites tho. When I go to Maine in the spring and the black flies bite, I really swell up. I did have someone tell us when we arrived at salt pond that the no-see-ums were bad. That must be what they are....small price to pay. Hope you guys have a wonderful time in STJ!

[toni]

My husband is a no see um magnet too. I have a picture of his foot once where it looks like he has measles he had so many bites. That was the trip too where he slid down wet stairs at a villa and had a big black/blue swelling on his foot so it makes for an interesting photo
I remember getting really bit up at Maho early and Francis late. Maybe we'll need to time things better.