Vero Beach No see-ums - any relief?

[BobH]

My wife and made our second visit to Vero and we love it. This time was better for the no-seeums because there was a northeast wind off the ocean for a few days that apparently kept them off the beach. Last day the wind died down and as usual I got bitten many times. I enjoy everything else about the resort but wonder if any Vero vets have discovered
any way to avoid these pests? Any repellants better than others?
I'd rather time my visits to avoid the bugs but according to one CM the no-seeums are a year round problem. I know this has been discussed before but any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[spiceycat]

there are some repellants in the gift shop that work - just go see what they have then go to the local Walmart and buy them alot cheaper - or buy them there - your choice.

 

[jmminarik]

Fortunately we never had this problem at VB...just elsewhere.

DEET seems to be the most effective insect repellent ingredient...and the more DEET,the more repellet it seems to be.

I think the makers of OFF make a small pump spray bottle found in the camping section....we got ours at K-Mart. While it only contained a few ounces, it was something like 95% DEET.

Hope this helps,
Joe

 

[floridafam]

Deet seems to work the best for us.

We buy the OFF in the green can but not the OFF Skintastic in the orange and white pump-it doesn't have as much DEET in it. We just returned from VB and did our ususal routine of trying to avoid the beach at night and early in the morning. We used off if we went to the pool or beach before the sun had a chance to get real strong.

I'm happy to report we didn't have much of a problem-2 or 3 bites at the most for each of us. It was very windy a couple of days so this really kept them away.

Also, we spent a lot of time in the pool and they don't bother you when most of your body is under water.

Don't worry too much about them, just take some OFF and you'll be fine.

 

[mom2rb]

What are no-seeums?

 

[floridafam]

I think their actual name is the biting midge or something like that.

They are VERY small and are in the mosquito family-at least that is what it says on the flier they give you at VB when you check in.

They really won't be much trouble if you just avoid the beach at dawn and dusk and wear OFF if you are at the beach or pool and won't be spending a lot of time in the water.

Most of the times we have been to VB we didn't notice them at all.

 

[lenshanem]

So the bugs are just bad here in the early morning and night? Is it just on the beach or all around the resort? During the day it is fine on the beach and at the pool?
Bugs love my oldest. She is a very allergic person and when a bug bites she usually ends up with an infection.
Do they not spray around the resort?

OT : While at WDW we've never had a problem but once. Late one night my girls were playing in the Splash Mountain play area and got EATEN ALIVE. I just never even expected that cause I thought they sprayed.

 

[spiceycat]

VB is in a protected zone - because of the turtles - so either they can't spray or no see um's has no effective.....

 

[CK1]

Just a side note -- I don't think DEET products are recommended for use on the little kiddies. Too much of a risk of ingestion, and the stuff is after all toxic. If your child is above age 2, the recommended strength is no more than 10% DEET, and avoid the hands and face area, and don't let the kid apply it -- only an adult. For kids above age 10 or 12, the strength can be increased to around 30%, same rules about what to avoid (hands, face). Also avoid any cuts or scratched areas when applying.

A tiny percent of the population is allergic to DEET products -- might be wise, if you've never DEET-ed yourself before, to apply a small amount to, say, an inside wrist and wait a few minutes to insure you aren't in that unlucky percentage BEFORE you do an all-out body blitz on yourself!

Just some DEET-ails, for what it's worth...

 

[floridafam]

CK1,

Good point. We never use DEET unless we are at VB.

We did spray a little on our hands and then wiped it on our legs to see if anyone had a problem with it.

Actually, we always sprayed it on our hands and then wiped it on our children.

It does sting if you already have a cut or a no-see-um bite.

 

[BobH]

Thanks to all for the replies. I was hoping not to have to lather up with bug repellant and then sunscreen but I guess tha t is not be. FYI we did avoid early mornings and sundown - we went to the beach from 10am to 3:30 to 4 pm and still got bitten. First trip to Vero was in June a few years back. Last trip was a few weeks ago in Oct. The aggravationg thing for me is that I don't feel them biting so I can leave the beach, I don't realize I have been eaten up til a day later when I start itching like crazy.

 

[floridafam]

Sometimes you can actually feel them biting but not always.

We also used bug repellant under or over our sunscreen-I don't remember which.

Unless there was a really strong wind then we used it when we webt down to the beach around noon. For some reason, they are worse on the beach than at the pool.

I also saw a sand flea at VB. Gross! DH pointed him out to me. Much bigger than I thought anything would be that is called a flea.

 

[betslinc]

I wonder if they ever looked into whether a mosquito magnet would work? These use a proprane tank to generate carbon dioxide, and then biting insects are sucked inside and dehydrated. The nice thing is there are no chemicals involved

 

[lenshanem]

I also saw a sand flea at VB.

Like what I know as a sand nant from Savannah?

If so, thsoe are so aggravating!
My daughter got eatne up one time at a playground there. They got all in her head!!!

 

[ttfn3]

The best stuff we found after an no-see-um encounter in Florida is Cactus Juice. They sold it in the pharmacy/groceries in Sanibel.
I found it on the web also.

http://www.cactusjuicetm.com/

This stuff is great! It actually smells good and it's a lotion. Once you put it on, it's not greasy. It's great for kids also. But you got to put it on BEFORE you go outside. Once you have one bite, you have 100's. These bugs are nasty!!!

And, if you need relief from the bites, the best thing is Lanacane. Works much better than Benadryl.

 

[JimC]

Deet and sunscreens are not recommended for babies. There are three very inexpensive bug repellents that I recommend.

1. Avon Skin So Soft mixed in equal parts with rubbing alcohol

2. Vicks vaporub

3. Bounce Fabric softener sheets

 

[G8RFAN]

Hi all! The no see ums are called sand flies. The are almost small enough to fly through screening. You're all correct, mosquito spray with DEET works the best. You find them in mangroves and they are most active at dawn and dusk. They do subside a bit during FL winter months. I used to live by the beach and moved away because of these things.

 

[Desperado]

Avon Skin so soft works for us, it comes in a suntan lotion form with a fairly pleasant smell and texture.

 

[mcarr1635]

Are there any updates on the best product to use for no see-mus in July?

 

[BobH]

No updates that I am aware of. Its hard to tell if the products work in my opinion because as was mentioned above a wind off the ocean pretty much eliminates the bugs that way. We tried some products with high levels of deet and also the skin so soft, but since you can't see the bugs to tell if they are around it is just a guess that the repellent or skin so soft oil is working. My daughter has used California Baby products on our grandchildren that are more friendly than deet products if you are worried about putting repellant on kids. We have been to Vero about 8 times over the years and only had a problem twice.