not exactly a diving question......but

[fishwoman]

Any opinions out there about Belize and sand flies. We were planning to go to Hopkins and then out to Thatch Caye---but it seems everything I read just goes on and on about the terrible sand flies in Belize,, particularly in Hopkins and out on the cayes.

Should we go to Placencia instead? Advice greatly appreciated (we once spent 5 days in Costa Rica camping on the beach, but had to cower in our tent every dawn and dusk to avoid getting eaten alive......) Thanks!

 

[Doc]

Sand Fleas in Belize are okay, but we have the best Sand Fleas about 90 miles South in Roatan and the Bay Islands.

These critters, variously known as No-See-Ums or Sand Flies are all over the Caribbean.

DEET works, and contrary to urban myth, there is absolutely no scientific study as to insect repellants hurting coral, yet what can it hurt to shower off before you dive?

If you do get bitten, nothing really beats a dab of Nasonex, which is itself a strong corticosteroid- it will relieve the itch and swelling immediately.

No one can really predict when or where they will be the most prevalent, just stay away from decaying vegetable matter including wet wood, as well as intertidal wash zones in the pre-sunset hours after 4pm.

 

[Gaz]

Happy to say No sand flies on Ambergris Caye unless theres aboslutely no breeze (which is almost never) Sand fleas prefer the southern parts of Belize.

A good 100% Deet should take care of things

 

[Ralph Capeling]

In Placencia sand flies are not a problem. As Gaz says, when there is a breeze, there are no sand flies. I live on the beach 12 miles north of Placencia and rarely get sand flies. Over forty percent of Belize is protected in the form of parks and reserves and the vast majority of these (on shore and marine) are in Southern Belize so there is lots to do here besides dive, eat and drink which is the reason I moved here instead of Ambergris. I have visited most of the parks and reserves and many of the Maya ruins and have not had a problem with sand flies.

 

[Gaz]

How long have you been livin in Belize Ralph

 

[peterbj7]

And virtually no sand flies on Thatch Caye.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

Gaz, I moved here 5 years ago but started visiting about 10 years ago.

 

[Gaz]

Cheers Ralph Iwas just wondering

on the note of Sand flies I wonder where they all are then, LOL

I have heard for years that the south is notorious for Sand Flies as obviously the initial poster has also ran across many posts of the same subject.

Personally when I have visited Placencia and south in general I have not suffered from Sand flie bites but then again it would be a brave insect to try and bite me and survive lol.

Peter has admitted that they have some on thatch caye just wondering where the mother load is hiding LOL.

 

[Hank49]

Bring repellent. Yes there are lots of days when the sand flies aren't a problem. But when they come, they're bad.
And there are sand flies on Ambergris. I got chewed up at Bacolar Chico when I was building a shrimp hatchery up there. And try fishing in the Placencia Lagoon on a very calm day. Pull your boat up to Moho Caye off Placencia. Or any of those cayes.
Where are the sand flies? All over but no where, in my experience, is as bad as my backyard here near Mullins River. Especially when I'm cleaning fish.

 

[Gaz]

LOL

In 18 years living on the island there are really only a couple of instances where I have had a probelm with Sand flies

In the developed areas there are very few to no Sand flies but as you say if you head to a non developed area you can bump into them.

When I first opened my resort which was built from scratch 5 miles north of town we did have a few when there was no breeze but if we did get an outbreak I found that if you have your beach raked each day it really helps it seems that when there is a build up of debris and sea grass they love that enviroment so cleaning the beach and raking it daily exposes them to the sun and kills them or they move on.