Sand fleas

[Rob]

... one boardie told me another thing-y might be some kinda dust-mite...

It is a myth that dust mites bite humans. Google "dust mite bites" and you will find:

"Have red, itching bumps on the skin? Are you scared of dust mite bites? Don’t worry, they DON’T bite people. Surprised?"

"Dust mites DON'T bite! Shocking surprise, right? Dust mite bites are merely a myth."

"Unlike other common household bugs (fleas, for example), dust mites don't bite."

The various sites all have the same info. And one site has a warning:

"Warning Dust mites love rugs and carpeting. So, vacuum the carpets weekly. To really ditch possible dust-mite allergies leave the floors bare."

I cannot remember the last time I was in a carpeted Jamaican home or establishment - all had bare floors so dust mites bites are a non-issue.

---------------------------

As for sand fleas, by definition they are "sand" creatures. According to the "Orkin Man":

"Although the real sand fleas can prove deadly to their small marine prey, they do not live within human homes and will not infest pets."

http://www.orkin.com/other/fleas/sand-fleas/

[Homebrewer]

We bought Repel with 40% Deet at the little store just north of Ossies on the beach road in February. It was pricy at about $13 but the Mrs. would've paid twice that as she is the one that seems to be allergic to bites. I spend the entire trip within feet of her and never seem to get a single bite, always assumed I must not be allergic to the bites and hers show for days.

[Bnewb]

You can get Repel, Off, Cutter etc at many places around town...but they're extra expensive since they're imported American brands.

[smith744]

lol
lol

Rob, Rob, Rob..... aka Mr. B-drive ::::: THAT is why i love you so much ::::: precision, everytime..!!..

:-)


oooooh-kaaaaaaaaaaay

my bad ::: dem NOT dust mites,
BUT those itch-ys are caused by some-mysterious mite-sized-something{{???}} ... an animal. Of that I'm certain :::: dunno ''what'' ,,, but it's alive .... s mentioned in one of my reports, the other week, when they did their-thing to me, I sprayed the body-part, and the itchy-ness went AWAY, IMMEDIATE-ly.

the spray is a bug-spray :::: ergo, it's a bug ... a itty-bitty mite-sized bug

[Rob]

Smith,

LOL!

To be honest it didnt take much precision to google "dust mite bites". In fact it came up as a option after I typed "dust mite" - the bites must be a common question on Google.

A generic term, not so precise, for those small thingys you cannot see are "no-see-ums"... I have seen that used all over the place.

And for those who like Jeopardy, Sand Fleas are crustaceans, not insects. But being that small, I am sure DEET does a number on their system. Once again, this info is thanks to the "Orkin Man"!

Happy bug killing! (grin)

[MikeyNYC]

Smith,


Sand Fleas are crustaceans, not insects.

Happy bug killing! (grin)

I had no idea!

[bigbamboo]

USMC strongly endorses Avon Skin So Soft to combat sand fleas on Paris Island. I doubt the sand fleas in Jamaica are any tougher than those.....

I agree with USMC, that stuff is good for more than just Sand Fleas; it helps against Mosquitoes and Ticks as well . I always carried that stuff out into the field, it sure made the guys in my unit a little more tolerable (from a stench perspective) to be around after an extended patrol.

[Seveen]

Don't forget the Benedryl :-)

[Shelly]

One thing that has worked out great for my family -- one hour before sunset we put on socks (can even wear with sandals), looks kind of silly but those sand fleas won't bite you, I buy those socks that look like ladies nylons and where them with sandals, I used to put tights on my kids when they were smaller. Works every time, those sand fleas can't jump up over knee high socks. I also always usually wear tights to a stage show with a long skirt if the show is being held on the beach.
And when you are staying longer than two plus weeks, they seem to stop biting.