jessy123

hello,we're doing the well traveled san jose-arenal-tamarindo itinerary in a week, but did not have time to get shots/malaria pills.
Bought strong DEET, but do i need a mosquito net? We are staying 1 night in Capitan Suezo w/no A/C, thanks!

dfarmer

I have not been to Tamarindo, so will leave that one for someone else. However have you asked the hotel if there is mosquito netting around their beds?

We have traveled 3 times in early Feb to many different areas of CR and have never encountered a problem with mosquitos. We have run across the normal lizards and a few scorpions. But not mosquitos.

We have never taken any shots or pills to prepare us for travel to CR.

We have always taken deet, but have yet to use it.

Now with all that said, even here in the states I do not normally attract lots of bug bites. Where my daughter can walk out the door and get a bite. I think you simply use your good judgement to avoid mosquito bites, just as you would at home.

Enjoy your trip.

Iza

Capitan Suizo does not have mosquito nets but the bungalows have screens in all windows so mosquitos are not a big issue (make sure you don't leave the windows open, and turn off the lights when you are leaving the bungalow - this way you will minimize bugs getting into the bungalow). Generally, Tamarindo has its share of mosquitos and sand fleas. You see a lot of tourists walking around with bites on their legs ;-). Having said that, here are my methods for avoiding insect bites in Tamarindo (having visited 3 times): Insects are most active around sunset, I always make sure to spray my legs with insect repellant (OFF works well) before going out in the evening. I also burn a mosquito coil when sitting on the outside porch after dark. I make sure all windows and doors are shut so as not to let insects into the bungalow. At night, I set the ceiling fan on fairly high and cover myself with the bedsheet. With these precautions, I only had one or two bites during our last trip (and typically I am a mosquito magnet).

jessy123

thank you for all your replies! As you can tell i'm a worry wart and just read the CDC advisory. Thinking i'll take the malaria pills since i still have time, but seems too late for Hep A..

last_mango

Another additional tip to keep the bites away. Keep you feet out from under table and chairs. We learned this last year in Guyana. There everyone seemed to sideways to the tables outside in the evening with their legs in front them. Seems the mosquitos like to be under the tables and chairs.

StanKase

"OFF" with 30% DEET is fairly good but "Ben's" liquid is 90% DEET and is a 98% guaranteed, if applied all over (back of legs, neck, face,etc) you will come home 99% bite free. In Honduras where the mosquitos are large enough you can ride them "OFF" is not enough but "Ben's" worked. We also purchased a few lightweight pants and shirts that are pre-treated with repellent for the evening or after a rain and the humidity rises.The extra few hundred dollars made us comfortable and no sratching until the skin was raw.The clothes can be washed a number of times and still retain the repellent.

dcd

We did basically the same trip last month (see my recent 3 part trip report). In Arenal, we didn't have a problem with mosquitos any time of day. But like Iza said, Tamarindo does have mosquitos, especially at sunset. And we stayed just 100 yards from where you'll be. We brought 100% deet but didn't use it, opting for Outdoor Off instead (30% deet I think). It did the trick. Sand fleas are definitely an issue. They must be microscopic because we never saw them and didn't feel the bite, just the itch later on. Bring some anti-itch stuff. You might still have time to get the Hep A shot. We took the malaria pills just to be safe and had none of the side effects, fortunately. I'm not sure they're essential though.

Dave

shillmac

One more "Amen" to the sand fleas (no-see-ums) at Tamarindo. I met a woman a couple of summers ago with lower legs covered solid--so badly she got an infection and had to seek medical treatment. It was quite severe and more than likely caused scarring.

Our daughters always have trouble in Tamarindo unless they spray. They have a few marks to show for it as well. The worst thing is the itch--drives you nuts. Anyone ever have chiggers? Very similar. Mosquitoes have been less of a problem, but still they do exist!

Another good product is Ultrathon--does a great job with about 27-28% DEET.

You can purchase anti-itch meds at any farmacia if needed. Calamine, etc.

dhswor

You might be able to get a gamma globulin shot for Hep A to cover you while you are there. We got our Hep A a couple weeks ago, but I think they said less than 2 weeks out, you can get the gamma globulin. Worth checking into. Have a great time!

Ears

Make sure you use the DEET. We did a very good job for the first 16 days (Arenal and MA) - no bites at all. Got to San Jose for our last afternoon / evening, got a little lax...and my wife awoke with 6-8 bites -

- and a case of dengue fever.

We got the Hep A/B shots and the anti-malarial pills just to be safe, and will likely do the malaria routine when we return.

Don't forget the DEET!

kthyrn

Just returned from Arenal and Manual Antonio. We did not take anything for malaria or Hep A. We ate at different types of restaurants, ate salads daily and drank non bottled water some times. We did not have a problem and as long as you are in a travel-tourist area with decent amenities I doubt you will. Every place sells bottled water though. As far as the bugs--OUCH-- I mean ITCH-- they loved me. The beach was less of a problem than Arenal/cloud forest areas where we encountered fire ants and black flys. We used deep woods off which worked well -- except for the ants of course or the places you missed. At the beach (M. Antonio) we had no AC and screened windows and had no problems with mosquitos.

dariow

What insects or other wildlife risks should I look out for at Arenal-La Fortuna, Montverde, and Quepos-Manuel Antonio.

What should I look out for and what precautions should I take? I am going in March.

Does my risk increase if I do hikes or activities at night?

Thanks for your help.

shillmac

We've done several night hikes and haven't worried at all about animales or insects. At night we cover our feet with good tennis shoes and socks and we wear long pants. A good repellent will be all you will need. No need to worry too much about this--it really isn't a huge problem--and sometimes no problem at all.

RufusTFirefly

We might have been lucky, but last January in Monteverde and Arenal we had no problems with insects. We had brought DEET with us, but never opened the package. We saw one mosquito on the Cano Negro daytrip.

dariow

Shillac raises another issue. What type of shoes do I need? Are sneakers OK or should I get hiking shoes or boots? I plan to hike, river raft and do the canopy bridge tour.

shillmac

Hiking boots would be good if you are going to do LOTS of hiking and if that is what you are used to. We always get by very well with our regular Nike tennis shoes and flip flops! We haven't hiked any more than a half day at a time, however. I would think that for white water you might prefer a Teva type "amphibian" sandal. Lots of people who post of Fodor's seem to like them.

RufusTFirefly

We had lightweight, waterproof hiking boots. The waterproofing sure paid off. Aggressive soles for slippery trails help a lot.

Ashley04

I wouldn't worry about not getting shots or pills. I was in Tamarindo last March, no mosquito nets in my room and I didn't get any bites. I was really worried about the bug situation because I get eaten alive on a usual basis in the States. This year, I was getting mosquito bites as late as November when no one else around me was. I used 100% deet on my clothes in Manuel Antonio, and brought OFF as well, but by the time I got to Tamarindo I was really lax about using it and it didn't really matter.

kthyrn

We did a night hike in Monteverde and didn't encounter any bug problems. As far as the potential problems in the cloud forest areas besides the mentioned insects, are snakes, which we never saw. We wore our hiking boots in Monteverde just because it was so muddy and damp all the time and also because of early encounters with insects. It was a little better at Arenal, but we didn't do as much hiking there either. At the beach, I was in Tevas or flip-flops most of the time.

dhswor

Can you get a good DEET product in CR? I am bringing some Ultraton cream with me, but if we run out??? What do you bring with you? Do you bring spray with you on the plane? I have heard that you shouldn't bring aerosal spray cans checked in your luggage incase they explode