Excited to visit next month, but feeling very nervous about bugs. What is the best insect repellent strategies/products from locals? Particularly concerned about centipedes and mosquitoes
There’s a bug cream you can buy in local pharmacies called medisoft. I’m super allergic to bug bites and I keep it in stock. It’s a fantastic deterrent!
The only one to pay any mind to is mosquitos and Off! With deet works very well. Centipedes are infrequently seen and are not flocking that you can repel them!
Deet. The sand flies (no-see-ums) can be brutal at dusk if you're at a restaurant or bar on the beach, or an old rum shop. Don't mess around and just spray your legs and arms. Better to use it and not have needed it than be eaten alive and have an uncomfortable vacation. Yes I'm speaking from experience.
My beach buddies swear by Skin So Soft. Too feminine perfume for me. I use deep Woods at dusk when needed.
We sometimes get roaches at the beach house which turns into an all out war which is over very fast.
You are unlikely to encounter a centipede [I've had only one minor encounter in 60+years] if you are staying at even a half decent place. But if you see the centipede before it sees you the Bajan response is the kill it. A heavy shoe works. But remember the centipede is not trying to hunt you, it is simply trying to escape from the big, scary human. Humans being apex predators.
If your accommodation is screened and air conditioned you may not encounter mosquitoes or sandflies either
But for outdoors I second the recommendation for medisoft.
Please don't take medical advice from me as I am NOT a medical professional, but a nursing sister of mine permits the first sandfly to bite her, then she applies the insect repellent, claims something which I don't understand about the body's immune response. But I would not volunteer to have even one mosquito bite.
I went in June last year and I didnt get bitten ,maybe just couple times. But no angry mosquitos to bother me or anything like that. No horrible flies etc to hustle me either. So I think a basic repellent spray from the local pharmacy will do the job. Or go without first night and see how is it.
Bring some antihistamine (hayfever) tablets. Take one in morning (and one at night). These take the edge of any itchiness.
We're heading home Sunday and I've had a few nibbles by sandflies and mozzies on this trip (we come twice a year).
Local pharmacy laughed at my boots own repellant and sold me Citrus Oil, Hydracortizone cream and AntiHist tables for less than the cost of the repellant I brought out from UK on our first trip here 4 years ago.
I still have the citrus oil and use it when at then house here in evenings to keep the blighters at bay! Normally mix it in my hand with the cream to ease any bites at same time.
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u/shhhthrowawayacc Local 8d ago
There’s a bug cream you can buy in local pharmacies called medisoft. I’m super allergic to bug bites and I keep it in stock. It’s a fantastic deterrent!