Hello fellow talkers! Many of us who have had the pleasure of staying in the beautiful island at the end of last year or the beginning of this one have probably had the unfortunate encounter with bugs. It helped to spray with lots of DEET but I'm not very fond of doing that very often. A friend of mine returned last week from a trip to Honduras and she swears by a "natural" bug repellent made out of cactus juice. I tried to find studies on the subject, but came up with nothing. Has anyone else used it? Does any one have reliable entomology sources on the Topic? I want to return to Bonaire next February (Rainy season yay...)so I know I will need repellent... I would love to do without the DEET.. Thanks! Coach Izzy

Hi Izzy, I think what you friend is referring to is "Cactus Juice" insect protection see this site Cactus Juice
I have used it and to tell you the truth it didn't really work for me especially in Roatan. Honduras where the little bugs that you can not see can carry you away!!! However they do make a gel that takes the itch away after you get bitten that does work.... Someone was pushing "Skin so Soft" as a good insect repellent for Bonaire when we were there and they said it really worked.. What ever you get and if it works please let everyone here know as I think most of us do suffer from the bites...

I'm not sure about the cactus, but Burt's Bees Inc does a great all natural herbal bug repellent which is excellent (smells good and works great). They (I believe) have an on-line store ... the address is: www.burtsbees.com (also 800-849-7112).

Their products are sold thruout the US and are all WONDERFUL!

Good luck
Annette

I bought some Burt's Bees at Central Market today for our trip. Smells great. They also carry it at Whole Foods.

Thank you all for the info. I Like Burt Bee's products so I was excited when I found out they make a bug repellent (hope it works though) I will get some of the cactus juice-base product as well. If anything, I will also keep DEET handy, though I will try to avoid it as much as I can. Stay Healthy! Coach Izzy

Izzy,

I used Skin-So-Soft in February and didn't get a single bite. The one night my husband forgot his DEET he got bites at supper but my SSS protected me.

Belinda

Coach Izzy,

I was in Bonaire over New years and used the Cactus juice. There had been a lot of rain at that time so there were a ton of mosquitos, the Cactus Juice worked quite well keeping the mosquitos and noseeums at bay. The only time I got bit was while I was sleeping, guess it wears off after a few hours. It also has a very pleasing scent if that has any bearing on your decision. Hope this helps, and enjoy the heck out of your stay in Bonaire!

Julie Philip

Use DEET if you want sure protection.
Everything else is just marinade.

We just got back from Bonaire late last night and Burt's Bees worked really well for me. The smell is a little strong when you first apply, but that wears off.

Coach Izzy.

We have been using Cactus Juice here in the Florida swamp. One CJ product is straight bug stuff and the other is a sunscreen with bug stuff. Made from natural prickly pear cactus extract. The gel from prickly pear is haled as the "new aloe" for burns and stings, including radiation burn therapy for cancer patients.

I read the bug test clinicals and it was indeed impressive. The scientist from Hawaii who introduced aloe in the sunburn market about 20 years ago (he was laughed at then), has now switched to prickly pear in his burn care products. It was used on tarantula bites by native Americans. So it has some interesting uses.

Personally, I don't want to put anymore DEET (or other pesticides) on me or the reef.

Bud Gillan
(originally Ocean Grove)

Thanks for the info Bud. I gave the cactus juice a shot while my wife and I were visiting her parents in the Outerbanks in North Carolina. Unfortunately it did not help a bit. Much to my dislike, I found help on DEET. I guess I'll have to keep looking for options, but I will always carry DEET with me as a back-up. Thanks to all for your help. Coach Izzy

garlic...it may not be popular if you have a mate but eating garlic (a whole piece off the clove if you can handle it) works wonders. thought it was a old wive's tale, but can personally attest to it working...it's not perfect but then you can lighten up on the repellant.