Bug repellent advice?

[annabug]

Hey everyone,

Just started hearing more about this new virus that mosquitos are carrying. Its present in the caribbean, and I am looking to see if anyone has a good bug repellent that they have used .and can recommend. Im just a little nervous. We are going on the Eastern 7 night. I am considering just staying on the ship when we are in St. Maarten.

I am aware that there are always risks involved with travel. This time I happen to be immunocompromised, so I am uneasy about it all.

Any advice or suggestions appreciated

I was going to bring Woods off which contains 17% deet.

thanks, annabug

 

[DISNEY FANTASY]

Hey everyone,

Just started hearing more about this new virus that mosquitos are carrying. Its present in the caribbean, and I am looking to see if anyone has a good bug repellent that they have used .and can recommend. Im just a little nervous. We are going on the Eastern 7 night. I am considering just staying on the ship when we are in St. Maarten.

I am aware that there are always risks involved with travel. This time I happen to be immunocompromised, so I am uneasy about it all.

Any advice or suggestions appreciated

I was going to bring Woods off which contains 17% deet.

thanks, annabug

They did sell one on the ship that we used do not recall the name but in the shops.

 

[Four Swampers]

17% Deet is a good plan. You can also treat your clothing with permethrin. Sawyer brand makes a permethrin spray that will treat your clothing, and the clothes stay insect repellent through six washes. The nice thing about the permethrin is that it stays tightly bound to the fibers of the clothing, which means it lasts a long time and is not directly on you. You still need to use Deet on areas not covered by clothing.

I typically use the clothing treatment on one or two pairs of pants and a couple shirts that I will use for excursions, hikes, etc. I don't buy enough to treat every single item of clothing; that would cost as much as the cruise!!

http://www.amazon.com/averPak-Pack-...=1405980372&sr=8-2&keywords=sawyer+permethrin

 

[annabug]

17% Deet is a good plan. You can also treat your clothing with permethrin. Sawyer brand makes a permethrin spray that will treat your clothing, and the clothes stay insect repellent through six washes. The nice thing about the permethrin is that it stays tightly bound to the fibers of the clothing, which means it lasts a long time and is not directly on you. You still need to use Deet on areas not covered by clothing.

I typically use the clothing treatment on one or two pairs of pants and a couple shirts that I will use for excursions, hikes, etc. I don't buy enough to treat every single item of clothing; that would cost as much as the cruise!!

http://www.amazon.com/averPak-Pack-...=1405980372&sr=8-2&keywords=sawyer+permethrin

Hey thanks so much for the advice! I saw that Permethrin, problem is we will be at the beach. Is it something that I would treat swimsuits with?? I feel silly even asking that, but most of our skin will be exposed..

 

[Four Swampers]

Hey thanks so much for the advice! I saw that Permethrin, problem is we will be at the beach. Is it something that I would treat swimsuits with?? I feel silly even asking that, but most of our skin will be exposed..

Well, you could treat the swimsuits, but that does seem to be an exercise in futility. Deet is your best bet there. You might treat any cover-up or sundress that you will wear to/from the beach.

Also, you can hold off on the Deet until you get to the beach and assess the mosquito situation. A gentle breeze will take care of the mosquitos for you. They often aren't too bad at ocean beaches. Lake beaches in the Midwest, that's a different story!

 

[Bree]

Mosquitos are usually out at dawn and dusk. I wouldn't stress out about them being at the beach during the day. When we went to St. Maarten in April the only place I saw mosquitos were in the one and only forest on the island where we went zip lining (Loterie Farm). FWIW, I only saw two.

 

[annabug]

Well, you could treat the swimsuits, but that does seem to be an exercise in futility. Deet is your best bet there. You might treat any cover-up or sundress that you will wear to/from the beach.

Also, you can hold off on the Deet until you get to the beach and assess the mosquito situation. A gentle breeze will take care of the mosquitos for you. They often aren't too bad at ocean beaches. Lake beaches in the Midwest, that's a different story!

again, thanks, its reassuring to hear some advice. Great point about the breeze. Im bringing one of those portable fans to the beach, ( i know that seems a little crazy, but it will make me feel better!) along with some deet, I'm hoping for the best!!!

 

[Sleepyluke]

Hey thanks so much for the advice! I saw that Permethrin, problem is we will be at the beach. Is it something that I would treat swimsuits with?? I feel silly even asking that, but most of our skin will be exposed..

Probably not what you want to hear, but if you are immuno compromised, there are a few things you may want to think about. May not be an issue, but I would not spray your swimsuits with Permethrin. And definitely do not spray your clothes and then pack with everything else in your suit case. Coming from somene that spends a lot of time in the woods, it tends to clog clothing and can even burn your skin if you get it on you and with a swim suit that is a real possibility. If you have sensitive skin the skin so soft (Avon?) or the Off Family spray tends to do a good job and does not burn. There are also several brands of "rash guard" type shirts that have some bug repellant properties that are fairly cool and do not require a complete scrub down when you get home.

The breezes will help and even some of the plant based are decent (kids stuff tends to be less harsh also)

There are also a few sunscreens that have some bug protection in them.

DEET is a very good deterant, but for some people that have never used it can be tough to deal with. With some sunscreen and bug spray, you are very like to feel like you are cooking and that is not a good feeling. If you have to it is tolerable, but not enjoyable by any means. Just be careful and have fun.

 

[Four Swampers]

Probably not what you want to hear, but if you are immuno compromised, there are a few things you may want to think about. May not be an issue, but I would not spray your swimsuits with Permethrin. And definitely do not spray your clothes and then pack with everything else in your suit case. Coming from somene that spends a lot of time in the woods, it tends to clog clothing and can even burn your skin if you get it on you and with a swim suit that is a real possibility. If you have sensitive skin the skin so soft (Avon?) or the Off Family spray tends to do a good job and does not burn. There are also several brands of "rash guard" type shirts that have some bug repellant properties that are fairly cool and do not require a complete scrub down when you get home.

The breezes will help and even some of the plant based are decent (kids stuff tends to be less harsh also)

There are also a few sunscreens that have some bug protection in them.

DEET is a very good deterant, but for some people that have never used it can be tough to deal with. With some sunscreen and bug spray, you are very like to feel like you are cooking and that is not a good feeling. If you have to it is tolerable, but not enjoyable by any means. Just be careful and have fun.

That brings up a good point: with the permethrin, which again I think is of little value on a swimsuit, you want to spray the clothes and let them dry thoroughly before you go on vacation. In fact, I will treat my clothes, let them air dry outside for 2 to 3 days, then give them a light wash with cold water on a gentle cycle. After that, you will have no clue that your clothes are treated.

One thought on the sunscreen/bug repellent combos. They are indeed convenient, but they typically are Deet mixed into a sunscreen. You should (most of us don't, but we should) apply sunscreen repeatedly during the day. So the combo products can end up with more Deet use than is needed. I usually use sunblock alone, then Deet in the evening or as I notice mosquitos are around.

 

[owensjro]

You could try doing what my wife does. She brings me along with her. I am a mosquito magnet and she almost never gets bitten when I am around. I get them swarming around me even if I wear strong Deet spray.

Maybe I could start renting myself out on cruises as a natural anti-mosquito alternative!

Jim

 

[kdeans1010]

My friend is looking at getting those clip on things. I am thinking I might do the same.

 

[2disneycruzrs]

I'm currently on an island in the Caribbean and was nervous about this issue because this is one of the reported islands. I bought the Off Deep Woods packets since they contain 25% deet. I didn't go with the clip because on the one I looked at, it didn't list deet at all. I was scheduled to go on a rainforest hike I was scheduled for but cancelled - not because of the virus but because I'm not a hiker whatsoever.

 

[vakamalua]

Mosquitos are usually out at dawn and dusk. I wouldn't stress out about them being at the beach during the day. When we went to St. Maarten in April the only place I saw mosquitos were in the one and only forest on the island where we went zip lining (Loterie Farm). FWIW, I only saw two.

Chickungunya is spread by mosquitos that are active during the DAYTIME. Cases of this disease have shown up on all the islands in the Caribbean visited by cruise ships. At least one case has now been reported in Florida. It is serious (but not usually fatal) with high fever, muscle aches, etc that can last for several weeks. The most susceptible are children, anyone over 65 and anyone with chronic illnesses (e.g., diabetes) or who is immune compromised.

Wearing and reapplying protection with DEET is your bet defense.

 

[buckeyemom16]

We visited St. Maarten on our S. Carib cruise in May. I read the warnings and a release I read from the CDC stated products with DEET, Picaridin, or IR3535 are best. You can read that here:

http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices/watch/chikungunya-saint-martin

Since I was not comfortable using DEET on my children I found that Avon sells products with Picaridin or IR3535. I ended up purchasing this:

http://shop.avon.com/product/31314/

And it seemed to work great. We didn't get bit. It also works great here at home in the evenings when the mosquitos become nasty.

Alternatively, the Avon product with IR3535 also has sunscreen in it but it is only 30 SPF which I didn't feel was strong enough for the Caribbean.

HTH.

 

[time4dis]

WE have no qualms using a higher deet (25-30 - even 40% on clothes and covered areas) for short term (few days in a row). but also, and/or alternatively, 'Repel Lemon Eucalyptus' works very well for us with no deet.

 

[annabug]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I plan to use Deet on myself, and my small children,
Im picking exposing them to chemicals, rather than taking a chance of being bit. I feel like I don't have a choice. I spoke to my doctor, and he told me to use bug spray, and have a good time...easy for him to say....

 

[buckeyemom16]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I plan to use Deet on myself, and my small children, Im picking exposing them to chemicals, rather than taking a chance of being bit. I feel like I don't have a choice. I spoke to my doctor, and he told me to use bug spray, and have a good time...easy for him to say....

Um, I can't tell if you're being facetious towards me or not but it certainly seems that way. I'm also not sure if you thoroughly read my response but it was of an actual real life experience I had just three months ago using BUG SPRAY (without DEET), in St. Maarten, and NOT getting bit.

 

[Winston Wolf]

Um, I can't tell if you're being facetious towards me or not but it certainly seems that way. I'm also not sure if you thoroughly read my response but it was of an actual real life experience I had just three months ago using BUG SPRAY (without DEET), in St. Maarten, and NOT getting bit.

Oversensitive much? She didn't quote your post.

 

[Winston Wolf]

I'm not going to say how I know this, but have extensive experience in this area.

A few things. Picaradin is a great choice for spraying on your gear/clothes. DEET is a plasticizer and will ruin hunting/fishing gear and in theory damage synthetic materials such as cotton/polyester blends. I sure wouldn't spray it on your swimsuit. I'm not as familiar with Permethrin as for skin contact. I know it's used in foggers/fumigators to kill pests in the home. For that reason, I'm a little leary of it. I also really question the comment someone made about being able to wash your clothes 6 times and it remaining effective.

If you're worried about DEET safety, know that DEET % is tied to hours of effectiveness. So using a lower % of DEET will be just as effective as a higher % over a short amount of time. You would need to reapply for the effectiveness to maintain...which you should do anyway. If you blast yourself with DEET, then wipe your arm on your shirt, some of the effectiveness is lost. Mosquitos can find an untreated area the size of a quarter, so make sure after you spray that you spread it around with your hands to completely cover your skin.

Hope this helps.

 

[Four Swampers]

I'm not going to say how I know this, but have extensive experience in this area.

A few things. Picaradin is a great choice for spraying on your gear/clothes. DEET is a plasticizer and will ruin hunting/fishing gear and in theory damage synthetic materials such as cotton/polyester blends. I sure wouldn't spray it on your swimsuit. I'm not as familiar with Permethrin as for skin contact. I know it's used in foggers/fumigators to kill pests in the home. For that reason, I'm a little leary of it. I also really question the comment someone made about being able to wash your clothes 6 times and it remaining effective.

If you're worried about DEET safety, know that DEET % is tied to hours of effectiveness. So using a lower % of DEET will be just as effective as a higher % over a short amount of time. You would need to reapply for the effectiveness to maintain...which you should do anyway. If you blast yourself with DEET, then wipe your arm on your shirt, some of the effectiveness is lost. Mosquitos can find an untreated area the size of a quarter, so make sure after you spray that you spread it around with your hands to completely cover your skin.

Hope this helps.

I agree that DEET is very effective and safe.

I am a little disappointed that you chose to cast doubt on my information regarding permethrin, especially as a quick internet search yields quite a bit of reliable information about the subject. I would add that I am also experienced in this area, and I will say how. I am a physician, I have been a member of the Wilderness Medical Society, I have gone on medical missions to third world countries (requiring mosquito safety for everyone on the team), and I am the travel med doc for our office.

Let me point out a few resources that can be useful for learning about permethrin treatment.

The first is from the United States of America military. A pertinent paragraph reads:

Uniforms treated with permethrin in factories are preferred to
individual treatment. Factory-treatment is the most efficient
and fastest method of uniform treatment. Tests show
factory-treated uniforms may provide protection for up to 50
launderings, but treating uniforms with permethrin sprays or
kits only will be effective for 5 or 6 launderings. When
permethrin is applied before the uniform is purchased or
issued, it reduces the risk of Service members being
exposed by breathing vapors or coming in contact with skin.
Following individual treatment, make sure uniforms dry
completely before wearing them.

http://dhl.dhhq.health.mil/Product/RetrieveFile?prodId=242

Another useful site is REI.com, which sells clothing treated with permethrin at the factory. It is exOfficio's "Buzz Off" line of clothing:

http://www.rei.com/s/insect-repelle...|google|main&gclid=CPKIhYPH3r8CFQwV7AodGX4AIg

You can also read about permethin treatment spray on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Produc...8-1&keywords=sawyer+products+insect+repellent