diving Belize

I went to Roatan a couple of years ago diving and was attacked by the
visious "no-see-ums" with nothing that really worked well to keep them away.
I am now planning a trip to Belize in the next 2 months and am wondering if
I can expect the same problems? Any idea as to how to really keep them away?
Or if it's even a real problem in Belize? Thanks for the input.

not as bad...but plenty of mosquitos...use off

" Joe Muse" <iflyplanes@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:107ta8t3forqe5c@corp.supernews.com...
> I went to Roatan a couple of years ago diving and was attacked by the
> visious "no-see-ums" with nothing that really worked well to keep them
away.
> I am now planning a trip to Belize in the next 2 months and am wondering
if
> I can expect the same problems? Any idea as to how to really keep them
away?
> Or if it's even a real problem in Belize? Thanks for the input.

Every Caribbean Basin isle is inhabited by no-see-ums. The Bay Islands are
pretty much so owned and operated by them.

Applications of DEET work best, only when constantly applied.

No-see-ums (sand fleas) like wet decaying vegetable matter, including
wolmanized wood, cloth, dirt, intertidal wash zones on the sea shore- you
name it. They may not be on the wood of the sundeck, but they thrive in the
leaves and dirt trapped between the boards.

Take along Benadrl spansules and gel (or the Walmart Equate equivelant at
1/2 the price) in case you get zapped (by anything). Better prepared than
sorry.


--
Robert "Doc" Adelman, C.I.D.


"I'm hiding in Honduras,
I'm a desperate man-
Send lawyers, guns & money-
the sh*t has hit the fan."
-Warren Zevon



>
>

Joe Muse <iflyplanes@yahoo.com> wrote:
>I went to Roatan a couple of years ago diving and was attacked by the
>visious "no-see-ums" with nothing that really worked well to keep them away.
>I am now planning a trip to Belize in the next 2 months and am wondering if
>I can expect the same problems? Any idea as to how to really keep them away?
>Or if it's even a real problem in Belize? Thanks for the input.

I was there in May last year - before the rains returned and after a long
dry spell. There were were rather few mosquitos, even on the western edge
and fewer on Ambergris Caye. I experienced absolutely no noseeums, and
never read that they were a problem there. I do believe that the mosquitos
do come back with the rain, so bring something.

OTOH, picas in the water (thousands of tiny orange jellies) did roll in
for the last day in the water and when my sun tan lotion wore off (acts
as a protectent), I got clobbered. My tradition of doing the last dive in
shorts alone lead to over 100 stings.

--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

"chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote in message
news:APKfc.133501$Ig.8897@pd7tw2no...

> At night walking around and eating, the noseeums like to chew you from the
> bottom up. I always have Benadryl and cortizone cream with me on my trip
> too. If you do get some bad bites, swallow a Benadryl capsule (a spoonful
> of liquid or two is good too) and dab a little cortizone on the worst of
> them. This treatment has managed to fix me up more than once.

Benadryl, OTOH, can cause extreme drowsiness, not the best drug for diving
or late-night partying. Real men tough it out.

"Greg Mossman" <mossman@qnet.com> wrote in message
news:407ff491$0$21960$6c56adcd@news.qnet.com...
> "chilly" <slarson@shaw.canada> wrote in message
> news:APKfc.133501$Ig.8897@pd7tw2no...
>
> > At night walking around and eating, the noseeums like to chew you from
the
> > bottom up. I always have Benadryl and cortizone cream with me on my
trip
> > too. If you do get some bad bites, swallow a Benadryl capsule (a
spoonful
> > of liquid or two is good too) and dab a little cortizone on the worst of
> > them. This treatment has managed to fix me up more than once.
>
> Benadryl, OTOH, can cause extreme drowsiness, not the best drug for diving
> or late-night partying. Real men tough it out.

It never made me drowsy . . . like it did some of those real men.

That said, I don't recall ever taking a Benadryl prior to diving, before
late-night partying yes. Since it was late-night partying, I'm guessing it
didn't cause drowsiness. It did however, relieve the itching significantly.

Go ahead, be a real man, but don't come crying to me when the nastier bites
get too much for ya. (g) I'll just remind you that you wanted to tough it
out.

Here in coastal Louisiana we are "blessed" by the little suckers. In the
marsh where the fishing is best, they thrive! On a windless day they can
literally drive you insane!
Anyway we've found over the years that Avon Skin So Soft works very well.
Just coat yourself liberally. The only problem is it may cause a greater
chance of sunburn.

"Robert "Doc" Adelman, C.I.D." <lawyers-guns-money@worldnet.att.net> wrote
in message news:VRAfc.34276$i74.776071@bgtnsc04-news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
>
> " Joe Muse" <iflyplanes@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:107ta8t3forqe5c@corp.supernews.com...
> > I went to Roatan a couple of years ago diving and was attacked by the
> > visious "no-see-ums" with nothing that really worked well to keep them
> away.
> > I am now planning a trip to Belize in the next 2 months and am wondering
> if
> > I can expect the same problems? Any idea as to how to really keep them
> away?
> > Or if it's even a real problem in Belize? Thanks for the input.
>
> Every Caribbean Basin isle is inhabited by no-see-ums. The Bay Islands are
> pretty much so owned and operated by them.
>
> Applications of DEET work best, only when constantly applied.
>
> No-see-ums (sand fleas) like wet decaying vegetable matter, including
> wolmanized wood, cloth, dirt, intertidal wash zones on the sea shore- you
> name it. They may not be on the wood of the sundeck, but they thrive in
the
> leaves and dirt trapped between the boards.
>
> Take along Benadrl spansules and gel (or the Walmart Equate equivelant at
> 1/2 the price) in case you get zapped (by anything). Better prepared than
> sorry.
>
>
> --
> Robert "Doc" Adelman, C.I.D.
>
>
> "I'm hiding in Honduras,
> I'm a desperate man-
> Send lawyers, guns & money-
> the sh*t has hit the fan."
> -Warren Zevon
>
>
>
> >
> >
>
>

I'd definitely take bug spray. I did not use any spray and came home with 3
bot fly bites that developed into larvae, etc. etc. Although the trip to
Belize was fun, the aftermath dealing with the bites, was anything but.
Will that keep me away from the tropics or third world countries? Heck
no!!! I'll just bring good insect repellant next time. Jane


" Joe Muse" <iflyplanes@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:107ta8t3forqe5c@corp.supernews.com...
> I went to Roatan a couple of years ago diving and was attacked by the
> visious "no-see-ums" with nothing that really worked well to keep them
away.
> I am now planning a trip to Belize in the next 2 months and am wondering
if
> I can expect the same problems? Any idea as to how to really keep them
away?
> Or if it's even a real problem in Belize? Thanks for the input.
>
>

On Fri, 16 Apr 2004 15:18:47 -0500, " somebody"
<somebody@somewhere.net> wrote:

>Here in coastal Louisiana we are "blessed" by the little suckers. In the
>marsh where the fishing is best, they thrive! On a windless day they can
>literally drive you insane!
>Anyway we've found over the years that Avon Skin So Soft works very well.
>Just coat yourself liberally. The only problem is it may cause a greater
>chance of sunburn.
>

There's some kind of bug juice formula that's also an SPF 15. If I
can find it (it's buried in the morass under my bathroom sink) I'll
post the info on it.
--
dillon

Life is always short, but only you can make it sweet

> <somebody@somewhere.net> wrote:> >Anyway we've found over the years that
Avon Skin So Soft works very well.
> >Just coat yourself liberally. The only problem is it may cause a greater
> >chance of sunburn.

In my non scientific opinion- this stuff (Skin-so-soft) is a bit of a wives
tale.

The bug repellant claims were suddenly removed from the advertising and
label a few years back.

>dillon responded with:
> There's some kind of bug juice formula that's also an SPF 15. If I
> can find it (it's buried in the morass under my bathroom sink) I'll
> post the info on it.

If it has melted a hole in the linoleum thereunder, I would give it a shot.


Smokers vs Non?

I have seen them both, or none get bit. I've seen beer drinkers,
vegetarians, christians, blondes, fat people .... or not.... get mauled by
no-see-ums.... or not.

Another poster referenced larvae eerupting weeks later. Is THAT the true
reason for them biting us? Are they having puppies under our skin?

(another, kinda unrelated note) a useful article in DAN (imagine that!)
about invisible organisms that get inside divers and haunt you later. (It
aint the sharks, it's the bacteria that will killya)
--
Robert "Doc" Adelman, C.I.D.


"I'm hiding in Honduras,
I'm a desperate man-
Send lawyers, guns & money-
the sh*t has hit the fan."
-Warren Zevon