25% wipes and 100% spray will that keep the skeeters away??

[Tunaman68]

Hey all,

Two weeks till wheels up and we're so excited!

While insects don't seem to have a taste for my bitter blood (too much garlic and capsaicin), my daughter must taste like fine wine as she gets annihilated whenever there are skeeters about.

I know evenings at dinner and before/after night dives are important, but do we need to expect to apply repellent any time we're not wrapped in neoprene or under the water??

Thanks! Any last minute tips for the noobs?

T

 

[wwguy]

25% DEET spray works fine for us. We apply it once in the morning before we leave the apartment, and then once again in the evening after showering and going outside for drinks and dinner etc. I've never felt the need to reapply between dives or during other mid day activities.

Among other things, DEET is an effective solvent and will damage/dissolve some plastics and synthetics. Be careful with it around your dive gear etc. Also be careful where you lay your DEET wipes. Don't leave them on the rental truck dashboard. I've seen the damage they can do.

IMHO 100% DEET is too much for Bonaire dive trips. Per this link increased DEET percentage means longer protection, rather than better protection. On Bonaire it's likely that you'll wash or sweat off most of your 100% DEET before the extended effectiveness is realized. As a result you'll need to reapply 100% DEET repellent with the same frequency as 25% DEET. I used some 100% DEET wipes on an Alaska trip and it's nasty stuff.

The crazy thing about mosquitoes on Bonaire is that some places have them in hoards, and others not so much. It depends on the time of year, time of day, location, breeze, proximation to stagnant fresh water, etc.

 

[gbf]

If you're on the red eye make sure you have some wipes handy for when you're picking up luggage. The airport is open and if it has been raining...

 

[morecowbells]

You might want to look into Picaradin versus DEET as an insect repellant. I have sensitive skin which reacts horribly to DEET. When we went to Roatan (which is rife with mosquitoes and sand fleas) I decided to trial the Picaridin instead. Not a single bite. It is virtually odorless. For some reason my ankles seem to get targeted. In addition to the Picaradin, I will spray some Cutter eucalyptus and lemon repellent around my ankles and feet. If dining out, those clips by Off are effective if clipped on the side of a table or table leg. The problems with some of the outdoor restaurants in the Caribbean are often times there is a low wall near the tables. It seems these walls perpetuate the skeeter problem since it blocks out the breeze and stays damp.

The Picaridan comes in the form of lotion, wipes or spray. I find that Amazon has the best selection and prices.

 

[Tunaman68]

You might want to look into Picaradin versus DEET as an insect repellant. I find that Amazon has the best selection and prices.

We have used DEET effectively in Coz and other areas, and 100% spray was the bottle that included free Amazon Prime shipping. We've got some lower power Sawer lotion as well that will get packed. The wipes were purchased after reading a thread about getting eaten alive at the airport so thanks for verifying that as well as the reminder about being careful around the dive gear, and leaving the wipes anywhere but their bag.

I will grab a couple of the off clips for dinner and sitting out in front of the room in the eves.

 

[TheWizard]

In a half dozen Bonaire trips, I've never had a major problem with mosquitoes, especially when moving around.
They attack your lower legs & ankles when you're eating dinner outside, most commonly.
Sometimes, sitting on your patio late afternoon, you'll have a few.
So it's a simple problem to deal with...

 

[Ray and Pam]

In the evenings we spray on the REPEL Lemon Eucalyptus (Deet Free) in the room, gets rid on any skeeters in the room also. Then I carry a packet of the AVON skin so soft PICARIDIN towelettes in my back pocket just in case but have never had to use it.
Good points, have it availale for the 5am arrival at the airport, and we always seem to forget to apply it the first evening out but not the second.
I had an uncle that lived at Sealevel in North Carolina and all he took was garlic pills.

 

[midas6t6]

Expect them early morning and dusk, usually not bad during the day. Bullfrog work well for us as does Cutters. Many restaurants can provide it if you forget to spray before going to dinner, just ask. If you get any rain the mosquito population explodes! Enjoy, 10 weeks until our next trip there.

 

[Gdog]

Some info here....
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/abc-islands/451528-best-bug-spray-mosquito-repellant-bonaire.html

Here is what we used with great success:

DEET Insect Repellent that really works! Buggspray

 

[NW Dive Dawg]

Always 100% DEET for us.....even on Bonaire. But... we typically don't ever apply until after the shore diving is done for the day and we're showered up and headed out to dinner or out onto the balcony for cocktails. We also always shoot for upper level accomodations...seems to be better.

One more tip is to avoid wearing anything black or dark colored when you go out to dinner or are outside during skeeter time. Might be a myth, but my wife believes it helps so.....we go with it.