Do they bite?
 

Hello all,
I am new to the site but have been doing a lot of reading--some great comments and a lot of information here.
My wife and I are retirees and are seriously considering a relocation to the Carribean--either Barbados or St Lucia. We have visited other parts as well of the sunny area, but like the feel of these two. We recently heard that St Lucia has a --wait for it--mosquito problem. Is this correct? My wife is such a sweetie that they home in on her and send a message to all their mates as well. When we travel we stay of course in hotels where if there was problem it would have been sorted for all the soft guests, so we do not know the "true" nature of the beast so to speak.
Also, we have been given rather sketchy requirements for residence as "retirees" ie we do not want work, we can support ourselves and we will be buying a property for a substantial investment. We both hold UK EU style passports and I also have a NZ one.
Can anyone offer advice please?

Re: Do they bite?
 

yes there are mossies in both Barbados and St Lucia. They will bite. In the rainy season there are lots. Its something you cannot get rid of and is the nature of the island beast.

Re: Do they bite?
 

Hello!
I am prone to mossie's too so sympathise, but I find that using a repellent does work and to be honest the longer I live here (St Lucia) the less I get bitten.

If you are looking for tips on property investment send me a PM as I may be able to advise

Re: Do they bite?
 

Hi,

I moved to St Lucia from the UK in October of last year, to start with I got bitten, mostly because I forgot to put on repellent. However after 3 months I was clear, it was though my body had a tolerance and stopped producing histamine, so now I have no problem at all. I had a friend who came out here to stay for a month, she was prone to bites, however her doctor advised her to take antihistamine tablets ( the same as you take for hayfever) whilst she was here, this meant that although she probably got bitten she never knew about it.

I can also help you with investment properties as I work for a real estate agent on the island. If you need anything then please just send me a private message.

Good luck, the mossys really are not a problem compared to the wonderful life we have here.

Re: Do they bite?
 

Thanks for all the responses--much as I had anticipated. Thanks also for the property pointers. Sorry for the delay in reply as I have been away this weekend.

Re: Do they bite?
 

Kiwiboy, I agree that the longer you are on the islands the less the mosquitoes bother you. Initially for your comfort you could sleep under a mosquitoe net during the night (tuck in the sides as buggers will try to get in net.) For your comfort I would also keep the house light and airy as mosquitoes like to hide in dark corners. Do not let any water accumalate around your property in old containers etc as these are breeding ground for mosquitoes. I would also initially install air conditioning at least in your bedrooms as the mozzies hate the cold. You can also spray the rooms out about an hour before you go to sleep. If you follow all these actions you will be fine until you and the mozzies learn to live in harmony without them wanting to feast on you anymore. To relieve the itching of a mosquitoe bite put a couple of limes in the fridge and as soon as you get bitten hold a small slice of it on the bite, takes away the main itch. Alternatively have a sea bath, the salt in the sea is great for relieving itching.

Good luck

Re: Do they bite?
 

Cheers--all good tips