TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums British Virgin Islands Do mosquitoes bug you on the boat?

Heading for our third trip in the last year to the BVI October 13-23rd, and with all the talk of Zika was just wondering about everyone's experience with mosquitoes when moored/anchored. We don't recall any problem at all while on the boat in the evenings, but we're looking for more input.

Obviously wind has a lot to do with it; but assuming there's no wind, do mosquitoes travel over water for some distance to feast on us humans? And if so, I wonder what that distance might be? Should we moor as far from shore as possible to stay out of the danger zone? I hate putting on spray if we don't need to in the evenings while enjoying the sunset...

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Tom

In short, we have had very little mosquito issues sailing, (but have had some biting flies). Here's my advice:

1. Anchor your boat at least 150m off shore, preferably with the wind NOT blowing straight from the closest shore to you. Mosquitos don't travel too far and don't fly upwind well, so don't let the wind blow them to you. It's tempting to grab a ball close to shore, but if the wind is wrong you're going to get bit.

2. Don't go to the beach at dusk. Bugs really get you from just before to just after dusk, so plan around that.

That's about it, those two tips have kept me pretty much bite free for my trips.

The biting flies, however, are an exception. Unlike mosquitoes, the flies can make it pretty far out into a mooring field. Best advice for them is to keep some flypaper traps below deck (hate to lock a bunch of them below decks overnight...) and if you see more than 1 biting fly when you grab a ball, you might move to another spot because they seem to tell their friends and if you start the night with 2-3 you'll end the night with 10-15.

Tom, if you are worried about Zika, put DEET on after you put on sunscreen.

"Biting flies" BTW, are just houseflies that, well, bite!

They seem to be more annoying in August here in Canada for reasons known only to the flies.

The mosquitos that transmit Zika are generally daytime biters that do not travel significantly far from their hatching place.

I'd be more vigilant in sheltered mooring fields/anchorages with obvious mangrove breeding grounds, and less concerned ( if at all) when moored or anchored in a more open, exposed situation.

For EX: I'd be more careful in Biras Creek than I would at Cooper. I'd be more careful at Benures than I would at CGB. I'd choose to moor in the middle of the Bight than close to Water Point.

For me, after a day of sailing, swimming, and sun exposure, I tend to find comfort in a soft cotton long sleeve shirt and a pair of scrub pants on deck in the evenings. Without AC, you won't find me wearing those to sleep, but I do appreciate a port fan in my cabin which creates a " breeze" so I can be comfortable under the sheet.

We have mosquitos in Maine, they bite, and they can also transmit some not-lovelies like EEE and West Nile.

I don't like to get bit, either home or away.

We visit four times per year, and every year for October. We have not had problems with mosquitoes on the boat in any anchorage (BVI, USVI, SVI). We have had problems with flies when we were anchored stern-to at Peter Island's Little Harbor last October.

We put but spray on when we go onshore. We're using Sawyer picardin-based bug spray these days.
http://www.consumerreports.org/insect-repellents/mosquito-repellents-that-best-protect-against-zika/

We have friends in the islands who have had Zika/Chikungunya/Dengue. We don't want it.

Cheers, RickG

We've never had a problem while at anchor.

Only places I've had problems, again mainly with biting flies, were North Sound and Jost. North Sound I was on a ball right where the BEYC dinghy lane splits to Saba and Leverick and were getting fairly eaten up. I think they were being blown from Prickly Pear because BEYC never seems to have many bugs. On Jost, White Bay mooring balls are really close to shore so it makes sense that the boats are a short hop for the bugs, even though the wing was blowing towards shore.

My wife and I were just talking about this, and neither of us could recall ever being bitten by a skeetet in the BVI. Of course, it would be silly not to take reasonable cautions today.

Peter Island in Sprat Bay or if you anchor in Great Harbor and then walk across to the rest obviously. Otherwise, never been an issue anywhere.

Here is what Consumer Reports reports has to say on repellents. More is better and most of us do not use enough to be effective.

http://www.consumerreports.org/insect-repellents/mosquito-repellents-that-best-protect-against-zika/

The way I read this is I along with everyone with me have not been using near enough of the active ingredients. We also have not been packing enough. If you want to avoid the many mosquito born diseases you want to use ample DEET early and often.

The trades tend to keep them away at anchor