Hello everyone,

I'm coming to Bonaire in 10 days. I plan to bring deet to ward off biting insects, but hope not to have a need for it. I swell up with mesquitos.

Will deet be enough?

Hi Annie, Yes I'm afraid you will need the 'deet',there are mossies and nosee'ums. Remember to put the deet on before you leave the plane, I landed late one night and ended up with over 80 bite on my legs one year. Happily, I learned my lesson and always spray now! They love for you to sit out having dinner over the ocean on your balcony or at a restaurant!
Julia

Hi Julia,

Ouch! You got me on the highest number of bites, I thought my 42 bites on one leg was bad (Oahu). All the bites became bruises and took 4 months to go away.

Another question. Any ideas on what works best when I'm on the hammock with a book? Cintronella candle or maybe those blue heated thingys.

Thanks!

Hi Annie,
Citronella candles are nice for other people as well as you.
Blue heated thingys work well in the bedroom.
We also put a mosquito coil to burn in the living room when we go out to dinner. You can buy them, really cheaply at Cultimara, don't bother taking them with you.
There are people out there rolling on the floor, laughing at us now. Friends in Canada thought I was crazy until I got a bite on my ankle that stopped me walking!
Fellow sufferers must unite!
Love Julia

i always get bitten by mosquitos but on my 3 trips have never used bug spray or been bitten.we've been in bonaire in december and 2x in august .this year we are coming in june.do they bite all the time and bonaire mosquitos just don't like me?lol

Maggie, my soon to be 11 year old gets eaten alive. Me, nada..I have no clue why.

Annie

Take no risks! If you know they are out to get you
THEY WILL GET YOU. Golly, a hint of paranoia got to me then, I am sure they are out to get me!
Julia

I have been renting villas in the islands since 88. It never fails I ALWAYS get a client who asks " are there bugs there"? LOL...

Once when I was waitressing in Antigua (in an outdoor restaurant) an American woman asked if I could seat her where there were no bugs..wouldn't ya know a gecko climbed near her..she freaked..LOL

Annie Phelan, you're just not sweet enough.....just joking.

I've traveled to many places (europe, far east & down under) and bugs never liked me, until I visited Oahu. Since then, bugs have been attracted to me.

Thanks for the tips and laughs.

This past February no mosquitoes were around, so I never once needed my "ammunition." Of course, the winds were blowing like heck, so any self-respecting mosquito was hunkered down in a shelter somewhere!! There has to be a body chemistry issue, as I am always susceptible to mosquito and no-see-um bites, whereas my husband just doesn't get bitten!!! Hardly fair... :-)

Just a hint for the no seeum bites (not so much mosquitos). Something I found after a terrable sand flea attack on Grand Bahama a couple years ago. Rub anti-perspirent on the bites. The active ingrediant, aluminum something something blocks the recepters and stop the itch. It was a real God send when we happened on it.

Bonairean mosquitoes seem to have a taste for the soft flesh around my eyes. If there's a mosquito in the bedroom at night, it invariably finds a spot just below or just above my eye, and I wake up in the morning looking like somebody slugged me. Had one night where the little buggers took a bunch of nips, and my eye swelled shut in the morning -- had to ice it to get the swelling and the itching down.

I've been on-island during times when even Jake (whom mosquitoes love) has told me there are no bugs about, and I've still gotten bitten. Definitely bring repellant. Keep in mind that Bonairean mosquitoes are also wimpy -- they're cowed by Kids' Off, which New England mosquitoes laugh at. So it doesn't have to be the 100% deet stuff...

Faith