Bugs..we are so bitten up!

[MLAinVA]

We returned on Monday from 5 days at the Swan and had no problem with bugs at the hotel or at any of the parks. I'm sure the Disney doesn't use bug sprays because they know "Its Tough to be a Bug!"

 

[Hugpug]

Yes the bugs are and Beware as I landed in the hospital for a day as my legs became infected from the Bug Bites.

 

[*Fantasia*]

We will be at WDW next week. I was in the store earlier trying to figure out what is the best repellent, there's so many to choose from. What is this "DEET"? Is the higher the % of DEET the better? I just want to prepare myself and my children from getting bug bites. Thanks for the infos!!

 

[TeresaNJ]

DH and I just returned home from POR last night, and I got bit quite a bit on both ankles, and DH on his arms. We think it occurred in the evening when we were sitting by the pool. I wasn't aware of being bit until after the fact when they started itching, but DH slapped a mosquito or whatever it was biting him at the time, which was the night before we came home, while sitting at the pool. That was the first time he was bitten, but I had already been itching like crazy for several days. Of course, I had bug spray with me, but stupidly didn't use it.

On an aside note, DH and I went to the opening day at Saratoga Springs Resort and toured the display rooms which faced the water across from Downtown Disney. When I looked out on the balcony there were so many mosquitos (at least they looked like mosquitos) all over the roof of the balcony and on the rails and just everywhere that it was disgusting. The studio was the worst, but the two-bedroom and the grand villa also had them all over the place on the balconies and the sliding doors. And this was at 4 in the afternoon!! I asked the sales lady stationed in the Grand Villa what they were, and she said she didn't know but everyone was asking. I guess so! Not good for sales I would think. I know it's got me thinking twice about staying there. I'm not sure if it is because the rooms were close to the water or what, but the other resorts have rooms close to water also, such as the Poly, and I've never heard anyone comment about conditions such as what we saw.

 

[720L]

Fantasia: DEET is a chemical to repel bugs, it works but if you can avoid using it I would. I use Avon Skin-So-Soft bug repellant and it has always worked fine. After reading all these posts on how bad the bugs are right now, I'm bringing some OFF in case the Skin-So-Soft doesn't work. (OFF has DEET) I also read a post about something called Naturel (not sure if thats the correct spelling) that is DEET free and works with Citronella in it. Citronella is what those candles have in them that you can buy in the stores that are supposed to repel mosquitoes. I'm going to buy some of that stuff also. Anything with DEET in it is my last resort. If you do buy something with DEET in it, I would by whatever has the smallest percentage of it. Have a great trip!

 

[*Fantasia*]

Originally posted by 720L
Fantasia: DEET is a chemical to repel bugs, it works but if you can avoid using it I would. I use Avon Skin-So-Soft bug repellant and it has always worked fine. After reading all these posts on how bad the bugs are right now, I'm bringing some OFF in case the Skin-So-Soft doesn't work. (OFF has DEET) I also read a post about something called Naturel (not sure if thats the correct spelling) that is DEET free and works with Citronella in it. Citronella is what those candles have in them that you can buy in the stores that are supposed to repel mosquitoes. I'm going to buy some of that stuff also. Anything with DEET in it is my last resort. If you do buy something with DEET in it, I would by whatever has the smallest percentage of it. Have a great trip!

Thanks so much for the infos. So DEET is good, but not good for the skin? I saw some that has 6%, 9%, 16%, 23%, 40% and there's one for 95%!! So which % would be better enough to keep those bugs away from you? Will the DEET ruin the color of the clothing if they touch? Thanks!!

 

[DMRick]

We stayed at POR, but weren't there much. I think most of the bites came while watching the concerts at Epcot. It was after those we noticed the bites. I got home tonight and my ankles are a mess. The bugs look like skinny flies and when you swat them, they are full of blood. The love bugs are annoying, but they didn't bite.
These are itchier than mosquitos..and coming frm the adirondacks, believe me I know my mosquieto bites.
This is a first for us, and we visit several times a year...including time at Fort Wilderness.

 

[dg39]

Last April staying at the CR, we were out on the balcony at night. I never felt or seen these bugs. The next morning I woke up to 37 bug bits on my legs.(I counted them). They itched so much that I scratched until I looked like I had some type of disease. The agony I'll never forget. Just sitting in the car was a nightmare. Every bump in the road set the itching off again. We stopped at the drug store to get calamine lotion to help. NOTHING helps the itch. For the first 2-3 days it was so bad, it almost ruined our stay. Even in bed at night, if I moved or turned, I itched. My dh and dd never got bit once. From then on, I bring bug spray.

 

[dizneykid]

DMRick - What you probably got bitten by are deer flies. I got bit last year by one and it took over 3 months to go away. I am very sensitive to bug bites, though.

dg39 - I used to use calomine lotion, but I found something new (and it works like a charm). I use Benedryl Cream (I get it at Walmart). If you use it when you first get bit, the bite doesn't seem so bad. In fact, if it is just mosquitos, I have had them gone by the next day, with no itching. It even works on flea bites.

Hope this helps.

 

[Virgo10]

I had the same problem in both May of 2002 and last May. What was biting me was very small... we'd call them noseeums up here. You wouldn't feel it bite you but, OMG, did they itch

The bites actually went through several stages and it reminded me of what happens when you get the chicken pox.

I used OFF Skintastic which was very effective... when I remembered to put it on. What I never left the room without was itch cream because when these little buggers start itching, they just don't quit.

Prior to 2002 I had never had a problem with any type of bug bites.

Roberta

 

[dismom3]

What about bugs at POFQ? Are they just as bad as the POR? I can't believe I'm hearing this. I've never been bitten by a bug in DW ever! I thought they keep it in control for the guests.

 

[maggiew]

From the AAP, American Association of Pediatrics:

"Follow Safety Precautions When Using DEET on Children
Reprinted with permission of AAP News
from the AAP Committee on Environmental Health
AAP News - June, 2003

Insect repellents containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, also known as N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide) with a concentration of 10% appear to be as safe as products with a concentration of 30% when used according to the directions on the product labels. DEET is not recommended for use on children under 2 months of age.

DEET-containing products are the most effective mosquito repellents available. DEET also is effective as a repellent against a variety of other insects, including ticks. It should be used when there is a need to prevent insect-borne disease. The concentration of DEET in products may range from less than 10% to over 30%. The efficacy of DEET plateaus at a concentration of 30%, the maximum concentration currently recommended for infants and children. The major difference in the efficacy of products relates to their duration of action. Products with concentrations around 10% are effective for periods of approximately two hours. As the concentration of DEET increases, the duration of activity increases; for example, a concentration of about 24% has been shown to provide an average of 5 hours of protection.

The safety of DEET does not appear to relate to differences in these concentrations. A prudent approach would be to select the lowest concentration effective for the amount of time spent outdoors. It is generally agreed that DEET should not be applied more than once a day.

There are no specific data on the skin absorption of DEET as a function of age. However, data on skin absorption of similar substances suggest that absorption through the skin would not differ after an infant has reached a month or two of age.

DEET should not be used in a product that combines the repellent with a sunscreen. Sunscreens often are applied repeatedly because they can be washed off. DEET is not water-soluble and will last up to 8 hours. Repeated application may increase the potential toxic effects of DEET.

Other precautions

Apply DEET sparingly on exposed skin; do not use under clothing.

Do not use DEET on the hands of young children; avoid applying to areas around the eyes and mouth.

Do not use DEET over cuts, wounds or irritated skin. Wash treated skin with soap and water after returning indoors; wash treated clothing.

Avoid spraying in enclosed areas; do not use DEET near food."

Maggie

 

[720L]

Fantasia: First thanks to Maggiew for the info on DEET. I don't think OFF stains clothes. Not sure which % is best. If I were you, I'd try something without DEET in it first, then if that doesn't seem to work put the other stuff on. You can get the Avon Skin-So-Soft in a spray or lotion. I think the spray has made spots on my clothing before but it came out in the wash. I put the lotion on the kids before they get dressed (whole body), then spray their clothes with the Avon spray. I read on another post that the person suggested bringing Benedryl for itching in case the kids do get bit. I hate bug bites I hope this doesn't ruin our outside time at Animal Kingdom Lodge! I was hoping to sit on the balcony at night..........

 

[*Fantasia*]

I just read maggiew's post in DEET. Thank you maggiew!! I can't believe I just learned about bug chemical called DEET! Thank you also 720L!

 

[Pocah]

I was in the store earlier trying to figure out what is the best repellent, there's so many to choose from.

I like Buzz Away. It's all natural and DEET-free and it works really well. Plus it smells nice. I feel a lot better spraying it on than I would using something with toxic chemicals. I always a take a bottle to Disney. I usually buy it at Whole Foods, but you can also buy it online.

According to their web site, the ingredients are

Pure essential oils of Citronella, Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Water, Denatured ethyl alcohol, Modified castor oil to make it water soluable. No petrochemicals, preservatives or other toxins

Here's their web site:

http://www.quantumhealth.com/productgroups/itchandbite.html

 

[dismom3]

How about bugs at the POFQ?

 

[jenelope]

Ugh, yellow flies. I got bitten when I was at WDW last May. I had dinner at Yakitori House in Epcot on my second night there. I thought it would be nice to sit next to the fountain. Trouble is, yellow flies like to hang out near water, too. I just happened to be wearing sandals that evening and was bitten on the top of my feet, on the ankle and on the arch of one foot. My feet were so swollen that they were bruised the next day from being in tennis shoes all day. I still enjoyed my trip, but it would have been better if I hadn't had to deal with the fact that the only thing keeping me sane that week was generous amounts of hydrocortisone cream.

I found some more yellow flies walking down a streamside path in the Animal Kingdom. The CM there said that they tend to bite feet and legs, so a lot of the CMs wear pants if they know they're going to be near water.

When I was trying to figure out what the heck kept biting me last year, I found some useful information here:
http://www.pherec.org/entguides/EntGuide1.html

 

[DMRick]

Yes..those are the bugs that were biting us..I think I mentioned earlier, they were like a skinny fly LOL! They hold onto blood and when you swat them, you get the same mess you get with mosquitos.

These are so darn itchy...can't wait until the bites go away.

 

[dizneykid]

Originally posted by jenelope
Ugh, yellow flies. I got bitten when I was at WDW last May. I had dinner at Yakitori House in Epcot on my second night there. I thought it would be nice to sit next to the fountain. Trouble is, yellow flies like to hang out near water, too. I just happened to be wearing sandals that evening and was bitten on the top of my feet, on the ankle and on the arch of one foot. My feet were so swollen that they were bruised the next day from being in tennis shoes all day. I still enjoyed my trip, but it would have been better if I hadn't had to deal with the fact that the only thing keeping me sane that week was generous amounts of hydrocortisone cream.

I found some more yellow flies walking down a streamside path in the Animal Kingdom. The CM there said that they tend to bite feet and legs, so a lot of the CMs wear pants if they know they're going to be near water.

When I was trying to figure out what the heck kept biting me last year, I found some useful information here:
http://www.pherec.org/entguides/EntGuide1.html

That's it. Those are what we call deer flies. Those rotten stinkers. Thanks for the information. I just called my DH in to look at them. They didn't bite us this trip, but they would fly around the backs of our heads.

 

[*Fantasia*]

I would like to try that Avon brand, but I don't know where to get it. I went out today and bought "OFF!" Skintastic Insect Repelent with Sunscreen. It's 30SPF waterproof and it contains DEET 9.5% Did I do good? I figured, I am going to put the sunscreen on my kids anyway, so I thought I'd buy the one with the bug repellent in it. Hope this is a good brand.