USVI-On-Line

I just read 3kidz4me's trip report and have noticed many TRs of late have mentioned trouble with mosquitoes and noseeums.

When we were on island in December, it seemed each day as we lathered up with sunblock, the skeeters would come flying. It actually felt like someone just rang their dinner bell!

So, on a visit to St John Spice, I asked Ron if he had any kind of sunblock/bug repellent combo thingy. He suggested a trans-dermal bug patch. It is all natural, made of B something or other, B-11 I think. He said, it will either work for you or it won't.

Ron or Ruth, what kind of feedback have you had on these patches?

At this point we were so eaten up, itchy and desperate. Bought them, pretty inexpensive, if I remember correctly. You apply 2 hours before needed and leave them on for 36 hours. They stayed put even in the salt and pool waters. FOLKS, IT REALLY, REALLY WORKED FOR ME. I was wishing I had visited Ron earlier in my trip.

The only downside, is the adhesive kind of stays long after the patch is removed. It took some serious scrubbing to remove all the residue. Also, a slight odor, not a chemical odor, a little like a vitamin bottle smell. Slightly unpleasant, but totally worth it.

You can bet on our next trip we will either bring the patches along or we'll be visiting Ron and Ruth early in the vacation.

I NEED to try this...I get eaten alive even when I spray myself down with Deet. Anyone know who makes these patches and what's in them? Is it thiamin (sp?) or vitamin B?

You could order them from Ron and Ruth at St John spice.

I've heard it's vitamin B1. Supposed to work for chiggers, mosquitos, and others. Also, don't eat bananas - something in them emits an odor through your skin to attract insects. Has anyone heard of this? Our pediatrician told us the banana thing, but he could have been pulling my leg.

Have also heard that you could start taking B-1 ( or is it B-12) vitamins a few weeks ahead of vacation and it will do the same thing! Keep the nosee ums away. They LOVE my skin, but don't bother my husband!

Christine tried it and it did not work for her. She is bug bait.

Drink more rum!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rick it always helps to have one in your group that the bugs like so they leave the rest alone. LOL
Tom

Ya, my oldest daughter and Christine get bit. I'm not allergic to mosquitos and my youngest daugher never sits still long enough!

I ALWAYS get bitten whenever we go, but I don't know if the time of year has something to do with it (October). I tried taking the B-12 vitamins a couple weeks before we left last year and they didn't do ANYTHING for me.

I tried the patches in January and they didn't work for me either. I do think it is definitely worth trying if you are a bug magnet. I also do the vitamin B thing about a month before a trip. I think is is better than without, but I still am tasty to those little critters. They will not stop me from visiting my favorite place on earth though!

Ben's in the little orange bottle always works for us. (LLBean, and various outdoor stores). A little goes a long way.

But I also bring AfterBite along just in case we do get bitten or benadryl cream.

It's nice to have something for relief and that stuff can get expensive on island-- they know you're desperate!

*Another fine scatterbrained production