Hello all,
Just returned from a beautiful week on the island. Last dive on Friday was an early (6am) dive at Invisibles. Flew back to states all day Saturday. Sunday morning, I woke up with about 25 bites on my lower legs and feet. The bites are about half an inch to an inch in diameter with a small bump in the center. They itch intensely and are very red, like Santa Clause red. When I scratch them they weep. (Sorry to be gross) They are in a line up my foot and leg like something was crawling up and biting. Only divers in our group got bitten. My husband and sons bites aren't as red as mine. Theirs are also on arms and torso. They went to the mangroves on Friday morning after our dive and I think theirs are mosquito bites. We are guessing something got into the booties and wetsuits as they hung to dry on the porch of the condo. Weird thing is how long they took to develop. I neither saw nor felt anything on Friday or Saturday. Why would they all of a sudden show up on Sunday. Any ideas?

Well Trish you have found out about sand fleas, these are little no-seeums that you hardly ever feel the bite but if you are allergic you find out about soon there after. The short answer is benadril (sp), you want anti-inflamatories. If they do not get better in a couple of days get thee to the doctor for a shot.

Sorry I said anti-inflamatories, I meant anti-histamines (AFAIK). Here's a link.

I wish I could help, but I am clueless. You have my symphathies. Suffering from PBD and bites too must be really bad! Skip

Yep, Cecil is right (like always) you found the no-see-um's. They nail me every trip and it looks like I have the measles or chicken pox. I use benadryl cream and cortisone cream (alternate every other treatment) topically since I don't tolerate oral antihistamines (benadryl will knock me out!)

Using a deet product will help prevent them, but I usually forget my deet ONE TIME and bam... bites all over.

Good luck, the itching usually dissipates in 7-10 days

Trish, when you went to the mangroves, did you come in contact with any trees? There is a particular tree on Bonaire, that when touched, will give a horrible rash/welt/weepy skin condition. I'll see if I can find the link with more information about it.

Cynde

I found a couple of links with info and pics of the trees the Manzalina Bobo

http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/30/259527.html

By Jerry C Ligon (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Tuesday, January 4, 2005 - 4:39 pm:
Especially from shore dives on Bonaire, one must be aware of a highly poisonous tree called, in papimentu, "Manzalina de Bobo," little apple of a fool. It has shiny leaves with a prominent midrib, and often conspicuous tiny red berries in clusters. My experience with it is dreadful and the local doctors will call it almost anything: shingles, sun allergy, food allergy, water allergy, no-see-ums, mosquitoes. None of the plant field guides will have it, especially with quick-visiting Dutch authors who don't stay around and really learn the plants. Scientific name is Metopium brownii and one has a name tag on it as you go down the hill from the Caribbean Club (Hilltop) just past the entrance to the Marine Park. Immediately after turning north at the bottom of the hill is a small pull off. There on your right is the tree with a green identification tag.
Remedy: Daktacort, a creme with miconazol-hyrocortisona and made by Janssen-Cilag.

From the Naturalist, Below and Above, Bonaire---Jerry Ligon

http://www.oldbonairetalk.com/newsgroup/messages/1022/194384.html

Cynde,
I didn't go to the mangroves. My husband and sons did. But their bites look like regular mosquito bites.

Cecil,
If it is sand fleas, why did they not bite me at the beginning of our trip. Do their bites take days to appear?

thanks,
Trish

ps met Jerry Ligon at Sand Dollar. He is super!

Trish they do take a few days to appear, it's actually an allergic reaction from your body. You mentioned where you dove, what is more important is where did you have diner, that is probably where you got bit. The little buggers love ankles at diner.

For future reference DEET is your friend.

Trish,

The 6am dive was the clue for me--they show up early and late on low wind days. My guess is sand fleas as well..............

Guys,
I think you are right. They are sand flea bites. Weird how they didn't get me earlier in the week. I think it was either the early morning dive at Invisibles, or the dinner Friday nite at the stoplight pizza place (Pasa bon Pizza?) We ate at the condo alot earlier in the week. I also rinsed gear at the dive shop right after they emptied and refilled the tanks. I did this alone, which may explain why no one else in the family got bitten. Is it possible to get bitten and not have the big red welt marks? My older son complained alot about itching during the week, but has no marks at all.

Trish

ps: good news, next time they won't be so bad

Yes absolutely. Your son probably did get bit but did not have the allergic reaction to the bites. It's like poison ivy some people are allergic others are not. It's also interesting that this can change with time, I used to be very allergic to PI but not now.

I am VERY sensitive to no see-ums. On the last trip I took Deep Woods off and used it faithfully when we went out for dinner one night. I didn't get one single bite.

They are miserable. Just when you think they're going away, they come back (usually in the middle of the night) and itch like crazy.