get the DEET, at least you know that it works and Dengue really sucks big time.

Depends on where on the islands you are going to go... if your hiking you will need it real bad, but on the beaches I didn't need any at all.

The only place I got bitten (and I got like 10 bites) was at that little mexican place off of cruz bay in st. john.

And don't worry about the rain thing. When we were there it was forcasted to rain every day, but it rains for like 5 minutes and then it's nice out again. Wasn't bad at all.

Have fun!

Mosquitoes are a chronic annoyance down here. You can purchase what you need when you get here, at the grocery store or at K-Mart. They are worse early morning and after dusk.. They don't like breezy conditions. Keep a can of repellent in your car so you always have it available. For evenings by the pool lightweight long-sleeved tops and full-length bottoms are good (don't forget your feet; socks are annoying, so just spray them....) I find it helpful to close off the bedroom and spray with Raid about a half hour before bed. At your villa, look around outside for any standing water; they hatch in standing water. After rain showers, which will probably be plentiful this time of year, empty anything with standing water. On the beach they aren't usually too bad during the day, particularly if it's breezy. However, after dusk the no-see-ums come out so you definitely want protection after sunset. Dengue fever is a mosquito-borne illness that one definitely does not want to contract. The chances of getting it are statistically small so you shouldn't be too paranoid. If you do get bitten (that is to say, when you get bitten) try a topical anti-itch cream; aloe, which grows all over the island, is also pretty soothing for both bites and over-exposure to the sun. With just a bit of precaution and common sense, you can minimize the annoyance of mosquitoes...I hope you have a great time!

Also, about the mosquitos. I didn't get bothered at all with them when we were down in St. Thomas, but there was a younger girl who had bites all over her legs. I think they swarm to some people more then others.

i heard that if you start taking vitB supplements about a week before you head and then while you're over there it can help? sounds like a bit of an old wives tale...has anyone heard this before/ i was going to give it a try anyway and put it to the test (along with PLENTY of spray/creams/DEET etc.

also in case it's useful to anyone apparently guaranna can help get you over jetlag quickly...i'll test that one out too!!

Ok, I'm off to store to stock up on stuff; thanks,everyone, for your suggestions and reassurances!

We will be on St. Thomas one week from today. We started taking B-12 vitamins earlier this week. I have tons of deet packed. I'll let you know how it goes. I usually don't have a problem with mosquitoes. My husband (the sweet one) swells up and is very allergic to everything that bites him.

KK,
Can't wait to see you at the airport on the 15th, you are so lucky to have such an early arrival- you will have the WHOLE day to get settled in!

Of course there is no guarantee, but often the villas have left over repellents for your continued use!
Connie is soooo right, some people are bothered far more than others! One might not get any bites and the other is loaded with them! Go figure!

The Vitamin B complex works great (at least it did river rafting in Utah.
You will still have to use some spray, or lotion at times but, it seems not nearly as much.
We always started taking Vit B at least three weeks before. It's also good for you IMO.

Now, I know that this seems impossible to do but, if you DO NOT SCRATCH at them when you first get them, they do not continue to itch or swell into ugly spots, and go away much faster.

Sherri,
We are so excited! I'll PM you this week, just to touch base.

Just got back last night from our week on STT, and the mosquitoes were BAD, morning, noon, and night, inside, outside, etc. You definitely need DEET and not the low percentage stuff. For example, the caretaker for our villa brought over some heavy duty spray which we used after we closed up the house for a few hours, and although it helped a bit that day, they were not entirely gone that evening, and same old, same old next day. Sitting outside in the evening was impossible. We counted 87 bites on my son's leg at one point! That said, of the 8 of us, my husband did not have 1 bite; go figure! 🙂 The local folks said there has been lots of rain recently, and that contributed to the problem. It rained almost every night briefly while we were sleeping, and one day we had a 5 minute shower.

Regardless, our three-generation family trip was great, and we had a lot of fun!

WE just got back from STJ as well and after reading this board took LOTS of spray with DEET and were very glad we did. The skeeters were everywhere, and yes on the beaches too. We like to stay on the beach in the late afternoons and along with the noseeums they were out big time. Though we met a woman staying at the cinnamon bay campground and she wasn't bothered by them at all. I get chewed up by them at home so I guess I'm one of those people and I've been taking a vit B complex for years. Once we sprayed down though, things were way better.

A good and inexpensive deterrent for outside mossies (as in on the porch, etc.) are the mosquito coils which are readily available in all markets. For inside, the "off" lanterns work very well. Each candle and pad lasts for about 4 hours and the protection lasts for about 12 hours. The odor is minimal and I usually light up one in my bedroom about 15 minutes before I go to bed - they work like a charm.