Western Caribbean..Sand fleas??

[LitchfieldParkCruisers]

Planning our excursions for our May sailing on the Magic and while researching Belize and Roatan, read some reviews mentioning sand fleas. Our son loves to play in the sand, and although we haven't had issues on previous cruises, these are new ports for us. Does anyone have any experiences and if so, how bad? One review mentioned having to wear heavy amounts of insect repellant and lots of flea bites!!

 

Thanks..

 

LPC

[Ykgorbie]

We have friends who recently went to Roatan for two weeks at a resort. The husband came home with a horrible case of sand flea bites, they got infected and he ended up going to the hospital twice a day for IV treatments for the infection. He felt awful for weeks and his legs were an unbelievable mess. I don't know any other details (like if he ever used bug spray or if the fleas were worse in the evening or what...)

[CWcruisers]

Belize has nasty noseeums, not sure what they are, but they drew blood on me. This was when I was visiting the zoo, so there are bugs all over that country.

 

Where I really got attacked by sand fleas was Costa Maya.

[firefly333]

I used to live in Boca Raton FL and when the beach had sand fleas they would put up a sign. They bite if you are in the shallow water.

 

Sand fleas are not only in these ports. There seems to be certain times of the year they invade for a few weeks, then they are gone the rest of the time.

[mikel24m]

Planning our excursions for our May sailing on the Magic and while researching Belize and Roatan, read some reviews mentioning sand fleas. Our son loves to play in the sand, and although we haven't had issues on previous cruises, these are new ports for us. Does anyone have any experiences and if so, how bad? One review mentioned having to wear heavy amounts of insect repellant and lots of flea bites!!

 

Thanks..

 

LPC

 

My wife was bit once in Roatan, we have never had a problem since.And they are sand flies not fleas.Also know as noseeums. If your really concerned deep woods off keeps them off

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceratopogonidae

[Dave_&_Lisa]

We experience nasty sand fleas last year in Belieze. WQent to Mahogany Bay on Roatan and had no issues.

[Luvsnorkeling]

No good way to predict this...it all has to do with the beach. Have been bitten by sand fleas all over the Caribbean, both east and west, at fancy hotel beaches and trashy looking beaches--no difference. I am extremely allergic to their bite and am miserable for days or weeks afterwards when bitten.

 

The best thing to do is always be prepared by wearing plenty of insect repellant and reapplying it often.

 

If bitten, the one remedy that I have proven to work is one given by a dive shop in Honduras. Cut open a papaya and smear the slimy substance around the seed onto the bites. For sure it's messy, but after trying many things--everything from over-the-counter remedies to oatmeal baths--this was the ONLY thing that gave me relief from the terrible itching for 5 or more hours at a time so I could sleep at night.

[LitchfieldParkCruisers]

Thanks everyone for the information.....a few folks mentioned it depends on the time of year...anyone have specific info as to the seasons where the sand fleas are most/least active?

We will certainly be bringing some repellant..and while others are lathering on the suntan lotion, we will be spraying on the bug spray!

 

Thanks,

 

LPC

[Trish12345]

In all my years of cruising I have only been bothered by sand fleas once. It was Sep 2012 in Cozumel (Paradise Beach) & Roatan (Mah Bay) The weather was a cool 80 degrees, not sure if that makes a difference. Of course, I did not bring bug spray on that cruise. It is now on my 'Must Pack' list.

[martinchem]

Roattan is the only place we've had problems, probably january.

[crusinpsychRN]

Eat lots of garlic. No bugs will bug you.

[JaniceB]

Or smoke cigars, my dad smoked them never got bitten by mosquitos or any biting flies. I would sit near him and get bitten all the time.

[CWcruisers]

My experience with the noseeums in Belize was in December and Costa Maya sand fleas was July.

[hfitzger]

We were bit by something in Roatan (Bananarama Beach) in April 2011, but I don't know they were sand fleas since we were in water the whole time and were only on the sand to walk to the water. I posted about it on the Roatan board at the time... Somebody mentioned "sea lice" that are very tiny baby jellyfish. Left pink circle thingys on our legs and backs that lasted a week or so.

[MDSue]

I was bitten a few times on my first trip to Roatan at a remote beach. I didn't get bitten at all on my second visit. My sister didn't get any bites on either trip. Mine were a minor nuisance and only lasted a day. Now, I always carry pre-packaged bug repelllants on my trips.

[wranglerguy]

Bull frog makes a sun block bug repellant spray. It's kinda smelly and gives off a greased look but works. We usually pack a bottle of off in our back pack.

 

 

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OIIIO

[KenMo]

We experienced the noseeums while snorkeling in Barbados in May. The catamaran captain said they are sea lice aka microscopic jelly fish.

 

I know people have been bitten by the sand fleas in Roatan in May and September.

 

The sand fleas have never bitten me but will bite the person next to me. I guess I must not taste very good.

[Robin7]

Roatan in late September. Tabayana Beach. I'm not sure what it was. I never saw anything, and I used OFF because bugs of all kinds LOVE me. I got bit all over my lower legs and ankles in spite of it. Shrug. It doesn't deter me though. It was a perfect day, and we're going there again at the end of the month! :D

 

Robin

[irishnyc]

Sand fleas/noseeums/sand flies/whatever you want to call them love me. I could wear an hvac suit and they'd find me. As a bonus their bites leave marks on me for weeks. I was in the FL Keys in early November one year and got bit, then got pregnant after. 5 months into my pregnancy one of my doctors was worried about the marks on my legs - it was left from the sand flea bites.:mad:

[thankful2]

Planning our excursions for our May sailing on the Magic and while researching Belize and Roatan, read some reviews mentioning sand fleas. Our son loves to play in the sand, and although we haven't had issues on previous cruises, these are new ports for us. Does anyone have any experiences and if so, how bad? One review mentioned having to wear heavy amounts of insect repellant and lots of flea bites!!

 

Thanks..

 

LPC

 

We have been to Roatan twice on cruises and once for a week. They do have a bit of a problem with small biting insects and/or noseeums but it was never really an issue for us. Products with Deet are recommended but we used a product called Cactus Juice. It seemed to work well for us and is all natural and safe for kids. We ordered it on line. I actually think I read about it on here and then just googled it. :)