Are the bugs really that bad???
 

My fiance and I are considering either Galley Bay Cottages (www.galleybaycottages.com) in Antigua or Orchid (stonefieldvillas.com) in St. Lucia for our honeymoon in February. I've read a few posts that talk about the bugs being very bothersome, especially in St. Lucia and specifically at Stonefield since it's an open air villa. I used to live in Houston and when I first moved there the AC went out in my apartment and I opened the windows and went to sleep (in Chicago we have screens!) only to awake the next morning with a multitude of mosquitoe bites all over my body, including my face and hands. I required medical attention! So, I said all that to say, I DO NOT like the idea of doing combat with bugs. Is it really THAT bad?

I'm not at all trying to be rude, but if you hate bugs that bad, you may want to consider another desination. After all, you headed for the tropics, and that means bugs no matter how you slice it. But on the bright side, every resort or condo I've ever stayed at in the caribbean had screens. But bugs are just part of the islands. Hope you like lizzards....

Seriously, accept the fact that you will encounter bugs, and yes they sometimes get past screens. But try not to worry, and relax....after all, it's vacation.

One word - DEET. (Is DEET a word or an acronym?) :)

I am a veritable buffet on legs for any and all types of biting insects.

We have traveled to the Caribbean twice a year every year for quite awhile now, and I believe I have tried just about every remedy known to man.

Even in a completely closed room with the A/C blasting, I'm still dinner for the squadrons that swarm in when the maid cleans the room (and they many times leave the door open while doing so).

I've stayed in both non-A/C villas, and A/C rooms, and it doesn't seem to matter, they get me no matter where. St John was so bad, I looked like I had the measles.

The method I've discovered for night time that works best for me is to spray DEET on a damp washcloth and apply it to my arms, back, neck and chest, and wear light cotton full length pajama bottoms with the ends tucked into socks so they can't get to my legs. (I know, I know, not very romantic or sexy, but neither is 40+ bites on your legs in the morning.)

On the plus side for Antigua, I don't seem to remember many bugs at all there, but St Lucia was particularly bad each time we went.

Arm yourself well, go and enjoy, and congrats!

Some islands are better than others.
We had no bug problems on St. Croix, St. Thomas, Jamaica, or Aruba, but we just visited Provo and came home with a bunch of little bug bites (not enough to detract significantly from the vacation, however).

Recent weather is a big factor also. I've heard St. John can be bad after heavy rains.

Thanks for your feedback. I think we'll be going with Antigua just because we secured a really good deal there and it's the place my fiance most wanted to go. Either way, I do plan to visit SLU, just maybe not for my HM. A close friend didn't mentino bugs in ANU, but I will pack the DEET just in case:-) Thanks again! I'll be sure to share my trip report when we return.

We rented an open air, 3-walled villa in St. Lucia a couple of years ago. There was a mosquito net around the bed, and YES we used it every night. But the bugs were not the biting kind, they were the "milling about" kind. I would not hesitate to do this again...and I too seem to be a big bug buffet! Deet is great. And rum isn't bad either :) for when the Deet wears off...

You didn't ask, but when we camped on St. John (Maho camps) the noseeums were absolutely awful. They can get through the screen walls, and the floor planks. As cdt pointed out, recent weather (it had rained alot just before our trip) can really make a difference.

Enjoy Antigua!