Best bug stuff for first timers to Tobago??

Sabina · Post by **Sabina** » Tue Mar 22, 2005 9:53 pm

Hi Paul

Hope you're having a lovely holiday. I tracked down ID Aromatics on your advice and have ordered their bug repellant cream too. Was wondering whether you're still having good results with it a few days on?

The guy I spoke to said that the cream can't be used in the sun but didn't mention one to me that can be, so I'm just hoping that I can avoid the sandflies on the beach during the day.

Let me know how it's going.

Kind Regards,

Sabina

Neil Patton · Post by **Neil Patton** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:22 am

It really must be down to people as Maureen & I were on the same beaches at the same time as Emma, we also did rainforest walks and I was fishing a couple of times at dusk and we ended up with about six or seven bites between us.
That was using Boots sun cream with insect repellant and skin so soft woodland fresh oil although I must admit by the end of the fortnight I was getting blase about the beasts and wasn't really bothering with the spay.
My deepest sympathy does go out to all you poor unfortunates who attract sandflies it must be awful judging from the frenzied scratching and great lumps we saw on some people.

Neil

Bryan D · Post by **Bryan D** » Wed Mar 23, 2005 9:45 pm

Hello guys, I have read in a few threads to use citronella oil. Is this the same citronella oil that is used in citronella lamps?

If so, what is recommended to mix it with, or can it be applied straight?

We were there in October & are going again in a few weeks. I am not so concerned with the mossies, its the sandflies that caused my girlfriend & I the most trouble.

Thanks!

Emma Hetherington · Post by **Emma Hetherington** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:42 am

Hi Bryan

We added citronella oil (essential oil) to the avon dry oil spray and also to the moisturiser and In the end I dabbed it on neat to be ankles, up to knees, wrists up to elbow, back of neck to front. I was OK and have to be pretty careful about what i use. But see all previous posts - it's really a question of what's best for you and you can just never tell!!!!

Not a lot us use but....?!

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Thu Mar 24, 2005 12:58 pm

Sabine

You need to ask for the eucalyptus gel mixture that they mix on demand. It has 2 types of eucalyptus plus some other potion. Ask for the largest pot ... you do need to talk to them (the ladies are a bit more helpful than the man).

I am 10 days into my holiday and I have just one or 2 on my legs and feet.

I have put the gel on my lower legs and lower arms and some round my waist every morning and again every so often.

The cream that cannot be used in the sun is suitable for overnight and much stronger.

The healing cream is also very effective, any bites I have had have cleared up in about 48 hours.

This in contrast to being riddled with over 100 bites (just on the legs) that were becoming infected and me requiring strong medication to stop fever symptoms in previous years. It is just that I have always had a bad reaction to sandfly bites and ID Aromatics have made my holiday so much more comfortable for me this year ... I wonder if a link could be made to them from the myTobago site should others have the same success.

More feedback is essential.

Regards

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Fri Mar 25, 2005 9:50 am

Hi Bryan

Different things work for different people, so its largely a matter of experimentation. See our article at Miscellaneous/Health & Safety/Insects & Nasties for more details on the subject.

Citronella Oil is the main active ingredient which seems to work for most people - protecting against both mossies and sandflies and all those nasty little noseeums. Citronella Oil should be available very cheaply from any pharmacy, either at home or in Tobago.

You can apply it direct, but its incredibly powerful stuff and you would only be able to dab a finger here and there before the smell would overpower you. That's why its best to add the neat stuff to something else, allowing you to cover more of your body. You've got to experiment to find the right dilution - we're talking almost 'drops' - but from our experience, once you can start to smell the citronella, you're probably about right. Easier said that done because you'll obviously smell it as soon as you open the bottle and before you've poured a drop. So, just pour a bit into your mixture then test it a few hours later.

We recently spent a lovely afternoon with Sue and Steve, the owners of Castara Retreats. They had a big bowl of coconut oil, to which they had added citronella oil. You could really 'splash' it on your arms, legs and exposed parts of your body. Of course coconut oil is very cheap over there, so it's easy to prepare a big bowl once you're there. Not the sort of bulk you want to be carrying in your luggage though. I must confess we've tended to stick to the (expensive) spray cans of Off! the last couple of years ever since our bottle of citronella oil got damaged in transit. That's one suitcase that will never become a refuge for insects in the next 100 years or so. We no longer need to apply deterrents to our bodies - we simply carry the suitcase around with us.

Oh, buy a nice large empty spray bottle (you can get them from Boots, in the UK). You can fill this up with your 'mixture' and it makes it easier to apply.

Julia C. · Post by **Julia C.** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 1:05 pm

We met Paul and his family and they kindly gave us the id aromatics day and night time insect repellant and the healing cream that they had left at the end of their stay. (Hi Paul and Jan, great to meet you.)
I decided to do an experiment. I'd already got about seven bites and had been using Off and Jungle Spray.
I used the id aromatics on my right foot, leg and arm and Off on my left foot, leg and arm for about a week. (I used only the id aromatics on my neck and face, it was too tricky to halve those areas!)

The first thing I noticed was that I got no more bites for about 4 days and then a few bites on both sides for the remainder of the week.
All though no scientific conclusions could be drawn from my little experiment my feelings are:

1. I was much more thorough with my applications of both types of insect repellant during the first 4 days of the experiment.

2. Id aromatics replellants are a cream, for night and a gel for the day so you have to apply them by hand and therefore I tended to be more throrough. With a spray I tended to be more slap-dash, thinking I'd covered everywhere, where infact I hadn't. During the experiment (especially at first) I was very careful to apply the spray as thoroughly as the cream.

3. The Id aromatics was much more pleasant and containing natural essential oils and no deet I felt much happier applying it.

4. The night time repellant has a cream base and the day time repellant has an aloe vera base so both have the benefit of adding moisture to your skin.

So to sum up. I agree with previous posts that different things suit different people and different people react differently to the various biters. I react to mossie bites and take antihistamines (cheap from Sainsburys) all through the holiday and luckily I've never knowingly been bitten by a sandfly.
Choose a product you like or trust, apply it throroughly and frequently and be ready to change to another product if that isn't working for you.

I gave up the experiment after a week as I was too relaxed to bother about remembering which went where and just applied whatever was nearest to hand!

We also had with us citronella (I have no problems applying it neat) and Avon So Soft.

Btw we found the id aromatics Healing Gel very good stuff for all sorts of skin things.

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Sun Apr 17, 2005 8:25 pm

Oh Julia

I am most disappointed that you did not have the discipline to see your experiment through to the end !!!

Nice to have you back.

Cheers

Anne F. · Post by **Anne F.** » Mon May 02, 2005 9:15 pm

Just back from 2 weeks on Tobago. I have to say, the bugs were not bad. Maybe because we live where the mosquitos are as big as small airplanes and we have several other nasty biting insects, we were not as vulnerable. However, we also do not mess around with bugs and always go straight for the 100% Deet. We brought two small spray on bottles, went through one in Tobago and neither of us had more than 1 or 2 bites. I made sure to spray some on my ankles and legs as late afternoon approached and then after my end of the day shower I would apply a bit more to legs, arms, FEET (very important) neck and a smattering rubbed quickly through my hair. It does not stink, just make sure you wash your hands after application. You don't want to get DEET in your eyes!

Helena · Post by **Helena** » Sun May 29, 2005 10:58 pm

Hi all

Just to add a little bit more, my other half is always chewed to pieces (whereas I escape scot-free!) I have found some really handy and brilliantly effective wipes from lakeland limited (http://www.lakelandlimited.com) I am not sure if it is a seasonal line, but these wipes - called Shoo! - combined with the Off spray, seemed to do the trick for him. We also used plug in bug mats in the bedroom, which seemed to help him too. What's more, I kept a couple in my handbag so that he could apply some to his legs etc as we left the plane, thereby beating the eager ones at the airport!

Overall I guess there is never going to be one failsafe method, but any little new bit of info helps!

H

David M · Post by **David M** » Mon May 30, 2005 5:34 pm

Hi

Returned from tobago three weeks ago and thought we would share with you the insect repellent we used - not bitten once.

After years of being bitten we used a product called Mosquito Milk which protects for up to 8 hours and total coverage is not necessary.

It only has 20% DEET but we found other guests in the resort had products with a higher % but they were being bitten.

The website for this product is http://www.bioconcepts.co.uk

Hope this helps as we cannot speak highly enought of it and we would recommend anyone to try it.

Diane C · Post by **Diane C** » Mon May 30, 2005 10:09 pm

Arrived home two weeks ago from Tobago & Antigua, my husband & I both used boots tropical insect repellant & also their roll on repellant & neither of us had any bites. This was the first holiday that my husband has not been bitten. I too had heard about mosquito milk, but we were fine with ourBoots repellant!

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 8:15 am

At long last, the total solution for those poor souls who suffer so much from sandflies and mossies and for whom conventional repellents do not seem to work. The following exciting new product appears in the catalogue of the American firm, Magellan's (http://www.magellans.com)

I think it only right that I put this exciting new product through the rigours of a myTobago review, so will organise one for my next trip. Readers on the island at the same time and wanting more information can always stop and ask me. Sorry - silly me - they'll never recognise me with my hirsute face hidden by the suit.

Julia C. · Post by **Julia C.** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 10:31 am

Ha ha ha ha!

You know it woudln't work - you'd get several of the little blood suckers taking up residence inside the suit and they'd get you through it where the suit touched your skin.

Apart from the fact you'd never get served anywhere as people wouldn't be able to stop laughing long enough to ask you what you wanted!

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 11:07 am

Laughing? Course not. All you do is stick a designer label on the outside and everyone will think you're "SO cool".

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 11:20 am

Steve has a point here ... and it would look really impressive if you went snorkelling in it ... quite handy for keeping those stinging little sea ants off you

Regards

Steve Pitts · Post by **Steve Pitts** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 11:24 am

Steve
I've been following the best bug stuff thread, although I don't usually suffer myself.

Your posting of the all-in-one netting suit made me laugh.

Anyway, I think I can go one better than that - although I don't think that Paul Tallet's idea of snorkelling would catch on.

Gadzooks - could that be you in there Steve?

Steve Pitts

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 11:47 am

Well, I suppose the sword would come in useful for chopping the top of coconuts!

Paul Tallet · Post by **Paul Tallet** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:28 pm

Now come on chaps ... this is getting very silly.

How on earth to you expect me to get my flippers on, let alone go snorkelling in that

!!

Plus ... it will get rusty.

Regards

Post by **Steve Wooler** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 3:30 pm

Well, Paul, just think of it as an ecological venture. The fish and marine life would mistake you for an old wreck and Tobago would have one new coral reef in the making.

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