Bug Lady

I have read that Hawaii-Kauai has mosquitos and cockroaches.

Does anyone know if the north side have more mosquitos because the weather? I must have sweet blood because I always come back from the Carribean covered with bites head to foot. Can anyone compare the Carribean-BVIs vs. Kauai with the number of the critters? Should I bring a mosquito net for the bed?

Also what is up with the cockroaches? I read references that some of the hotels have bugs. Is it any indication of the cleanliness?

x

I've never seen a cockroach in any place I've stayed. If you go hiking without mosquito repellent on you will probably be bitten pretty good. On the other hand if you are at the beach or the pool you won't be bothered.

koko

Lots and lots of bugs and besides that, lots and lots of crime.

Iforgot

Well, Hawaii is a chain of tropical islands. Bugs & tropics go hand in hand. Kauai's got it's fair share of cockroaches, mosquitoes, centipedes, and mo'o's. Cockroaches are really no indication of cleanliness. They are just there. And some of em are HUGE! Alot of times the rental cars in the islands have cockroaches in them. These are usually small, light colored ones......as opposed to the really big , red or brown, nasty ones you can almost put a leash on. Never seen any at the major resorts on Kauai.

Maggi

Two weeks on Kauai and Maui, and didn't see one cockroach or get one mosquito bite. North shore of Kauai did have it's little gekkos, but they are cute and didn't bother me a bit (and I can be phobic about insects). From what I understand gekkos eat bugs. We had one or two resident gekkos high up on the wall or ceiling in our rental home. We even brought home a gekko plaque for our house.

xxx

Off the subject I suppose but I lived in the Orient for 1 year many years ago. Gekkos are sacred over there. They are for the reason you pointed out. They eat the nasty bugs. You do not kill one in the Orient. As you say, they never bothered me at all. Cockroaches are horrible.

Lisa

I've been to Kauai,Oahu and Maui on different occasions and I have never seen a cockroach. On Kauai when hiking to a waterfall from the Wailua river I did get bit by a few mosquitos.

Rachel

I saw cockroaches at the Hilton Waikoloa Village hotel on the Big Island this past December...gross! We ordered a cot for my son, and it was delivered while we were dining out that evening. When we returned to our room we saw that the bed wasn't where we wanted it, so my son and I tipped it up and moved it over to the other side of the room. Then, as we turned, chore accomplished, my dtr shouted, "I just saw a cockroach!" She saw it on the side of the mattress, at the foot of the cot, and had it had just run underneath the mattress! YUCK! We just wanted to go to bed, but now, of course we couldn't! We called housekeeping, and the guy came in, lifted the mattress and grabbed the thing. Later on, I saw another baby one crawling over the mirror. Our room was at ground level. I don't know if there are more cockroaches in rooms at ground level or not. When we had checked in that evening, we'd gone out the door to see the beach, and we'd left it ajar for maybe 10 min., so it could have crawled in from outside? Or, maybe it'd hitchhiked into our room on the cot from the storage place? It is unsettling, especially when you know they crawl around at night so when you're in bed all you can imagine is that they're crawling around your bedclothes! Never saw any on Oahu at the Sheraton Moana Surfrider, but one did run across the floor in the restaurant of the Royal Hawaiian, they're disgusting cuz the run so FAST! Funny how that makes people irky. If they moved slow they wouldn't be so gross, howcome? I guess there are people that do get used to them, but not me, and it's awful to think that they can crawl into your suitcase and come home with you!

xxx

In 3 different stays in Hawaii, I never run into any major mosquito problem. So there are a few cockroaches. It's the tropics. The number of people attacked and injured by them in the past year, is under 100, I'm sure.

kami

You haven't really seen Hawaii if you haven't encountered cockroaches and mosquitos.

Brenda

I go to Kauai for a month each year. I have never had any problems with cockroaches or mosquitos. If you are near the beaches and pools, you will probably not encounter mosquitos. Hiking maybe.
Hey it's the tropics, some crawlies are to be expected. Most places I have stayed are clean and not invaded by bugs. I'm sure there are exceptions, but I haven't had any issues with bugs.

p.

We saw one 'roach on one trip - and it was at the most expensive place we've ever stayed ! Geckos not been a problem & anyway do good work. Still waiting to see the B52s, maybe I should ride a bike at night
Never noticed mosquitos, but so far we've stayed in coastal areas with a good breeze most of the time, and neither have I ever seen any cockroaches in rental cars as so many claim - and my better half is the best bug alarm you can find !

intensive care

lol, can you be attacked and injured from a roach?

xxx

I've been to Kauai twice and the Big Island once, never seen a cockroach. Ran into a swarm of skeeters while hiking on the Kalalau trail on the north shore of kauai, but other than that, no skeeter problems and believe me, if they're out there they'll bite me.

Sarah

I am not sure you can visit a tropical paradise and not expect tropical bugs.

For the first time in 8 years I stayed at a condo where a Giant Cockroach appeared. The exterminator came the next day. We never saw another one in two weeks of our stay. With all the moisture on the North Shore can't really expect more. I lived on Oahu and we had regular pest control. Termites are an even bigger problem.

I only see cockroaches being an issue if your condo is not on top of exterminations. If no regular plan is in place and I could see that happening if the owner is cheap stupid and living on the mainland. In this scenerio you might have a problem but like I said before this was our first year in 8 seeing one bug. That is a pretty good track record as I remember from living on Oahu how diligent home owners need to be to keep out ants, termites ect....

Fi

Have travelled extensively in the Caribbean and seen, (and had uncomfortably close nocturnal encounters with!) lots of cockroaches there. Didn't see a single one on Kauai. Plenty of mozzies in both though. I imagine there will be screens on the windows and doors where you are staying. We have found that the trick is never to leave unscreened windows or doors open, in which case the mozzies won't be able to get in, so you certainly won't need a net. However, if you sit on the lanai in shorts the whole evening like I did on my first trip to HI, you will pay the price! I think, as someone said earlier, that you are pretty safe on the beach or by the pool in HI, but there is some sort of biting insect low-life that seems to inhabit even the beaches in the Caribbean but not HI.

Brenda

I've sat out on my Lanai on Kauai many many nights without a mosquito bite. Also stay close to beach, which may be why, but have never heard anyone complain about getting bites.

Sarah

myself also Brenda. Was not sure what other people are talking about.

Sarah

Actually I was up on Mountain for three years on Oahu, If you call Mauna Lani Heights a mountain (on a two mile incline).The only time I remember needing bug repellent was on hikes into Manoa falls and then only if had just rained.

I have been renting in Hanalei about a block off the beach, no bugs. I hiked into different valleys, kayaked along the Hanalei river, no bugs. Thurston's Lava tube and the tropical rainforst surrounding it, no bugs to memory. Lived back by the Canal in the back of Waikiki also, no bugs that I recall.

This is a mystery! these complaints of mosquitos that is!

4khansen

Was in Kauai two years ago in July and we took lots of bug spray because of people on this forum relating stories of mosquitos. There are waaaaay more mosquitos in my backyard in Iowa. Don't sweat it. Never did use our bug spray once. ever. ever. between kayaking the Wailua River to beaches on all sides of the islands. The people thst post about bug problems in Kauai must live in a very sterile environment. Of the four of us, I don't believe we had one mosquito bite after a week.