missypie

I must admit that it creeps me out to think of having bugs in a hotel room. A recent trip report even mentioned roaches (which would bother me than more "exotic" bugs). Why don't people just take a can of Raid with them? Is it banned from the country? Does it hurt the environment? Are their bugs immune?

I don't mean to sound insensitive, but if I was going to chaperone a Boy Scout trip here in Texas at a location known to be "buggy", I'd bring the Raid. Can I bring it to CR?

Ally

I don't think the airlines will allow any kind of aresol cans, which is how Raid is packaged. Strange, I have never seen a roach in 15 or (or is it 16?) trips to CR. Not to say they don't have them, I've just never seen them.
Anyway, I would guess you could buy bug spray there.

greenfieldhunter

1) RAID is not allowed carry on or checked baggage - period

2) Yes- spraying toxic chemicals hurts the envioronment and all the flora and fauna in said envioronment- not to mention stinking up the room for future guests. Some people are especially sensitive to chemicals and could become sick after your "treatment"

3) Costa Rica, like many developing countries has few safe ways to dispose of toxic trash (not that the US does that great of a job either)

4) Lastly- the old expression "If you can't stand the heat stay out of the kitchen " comes to mind. One of the most interesting aspects of travel for some people (me) is the unique flora and fauna in said travel location- yes this includes insects, not just the cute fuzzy mammals (BTW- what do the cute fuzzy mammals eat?) hmmmm

A can of Raid has no place at a BOY Scout trip either- bring the bug juice if you like and slather your own body please, not the air I breath.

Sorry to be so harsh but I feel very stongly that what other people spray eventually shows up in what I eat and drink

Regretfully,
GFH

PS- on our trips to CR bugs have never been a problem, more of a pleasure. The people who have the most issues with bugs are the folks who LEAVE THEIR LIGHTS, TV, ECT ON at night while they are out- wasteful use of resoures and a whole different envioronmental issue affecting us all .

Ironically we found the best hotels to have more bugs as they practiced better envionmental stewardship and did not spray chemicals willy nilly- with that said the only insects we ever saw in our rooms were ants and raid will not help with the bats and other mammals

mikemo

We had our first encounter with a 2 in red/brown scorpion on Friday - a straight tequila spray nailed him.
M

greenfieldhunter

Actually had a scorpion fall ON MY BED while I was napping in Drake Bay, I looked up and quickly got out of bed .
Looked closely and it was a she and she had 3 babies that fell off of her- those suckers were tiny- everything quickly died - we assumed the rafters had been treated with something but they were alive when they fell

Raid would have done no good

toucantango

I always take a can of bug spray with me whenever traveling in CR or Nicaragua. but then again, I often take one with me when I go to South Carolina or Florida too. Generally speaking the bugs are not any worse than in Galveston where I'm from. In the rainforest area of CR, some of the bugs get quite large - I've had moths with wingspans of eight inches in my room and big beetles approaching 4 inches. but none of them creep me out like a speedy 3 inch roach, er I mean waterbug like common in Texas. I have actually started learning a thing or two about the insect fauna and now am finding many of these larger bugs to be quite fascinating.
But I still take a can of raid with me to spray around the bed. I hate late night surprises. You can buy bug spray nearly everywhere in CR, Baygon is the most commonly found. Better to be prepared, my boy scout training...

tully

I'm with greenfield on this. I have seen 1 roach on my trips, and even spared his life. You are going to Costa Rica, you are going to see bugs, accept that fact. I know that Bosque del Cabo, for example, does not use any because of the damage it causes.

MonicaRichards

I have not had any trouble with bugs in my trips to Costa Rica. No cockroaches, just moths mostly and rarely in the room. I hate to think what bug spray would do to the cute geckos I did see in the rooms. It's all part of the circle of life--you need the bugs to have the other critters, if you kill one you kill them all.

toucantango

I admire the desire to limit the use of insecticides, but using some permithrin around the bed or directly on intruders is not that big of a deal. ALL the hotels use insecticides quite liberally.

LSUsajani

I found these posts quite amusing, so I thought I'd put in my 2 cents. I just got back from Costa Rica, and we had no bugs in our room (not that I could see that is). There were however geckos everywhere, but guess what? They EAT the bugs!! So I love the geckos in my room (although they can make weird sounds that keep you up sometimes). It's all part of being in a faraway exotic location. We did have little small black ants now that I think about it, but they didn't bother us the least. Have fun!

LSUsajani

greenfieldhunter

Toucantango-
I can assure you that most of the hotels I patronize in central america do not spray toxic chemicals on the grounds whatsoever.

Have you ever read the warning label on a can containing pyrenthrins?

a summary- in bold as written

PRECAUTIONARY STATEMENTS
HAZARDOUS TO HUMANS AND DOMESTIC ANIMALS
Harmful if absorbed throught the skin. Avoid contact with skin or clothing. Prolonged or frequently repeated skin contact may cause allergic reactions. Avoid contamination of feed or feedstuffs.

It gets even better - for the directions it says-
FOR USE IN- Animal holding area, animal quarters, barns, beef barns, bottling plants, building housing animals or poultry, calving barns, canneries, dairy barns, dairys ,dried fruit storage areas, garbage cans, goat holding areas, grain storage, hog barns, homes, horse stables, hotels, ect ect.

In bold- DO NOT TREAT PETS WITH THIS PRODUCT (but treating animals we eat is fine??)
We call the stuff "dairy spray"- one place it is used liberally. Yummy

Of course it warns not to use the stuff when the plants are in operation or animal foods are not covered but walk into a dairy barn sometime while they are milking.

Please consider future generations when you decide to support chemical companies on your eco vacation or while at home. One person can make a difference (or a least I try to tell myself this)

BTW- I am a farm boy and work with animals for a living- I read this from a can while I typed. I am not trying to be a jerk , just inform you of what is used on your food daily

Pura Vida, GFH

missypie

Well, being from Texas, we get our share of geckos in the house, but of course, they're there by accident because there's nothing for them to eat in our house (because we have a contract with a company that uses chemicals to kill any bugs that might want to take up residence.)

I am curious as to whether any of you who are so anti-chemical live in the south - places like Texas or Florida -where the "water bugs" can be 3" long...Do you really peacefully co-exist with them in your home?

tully

yes, I live in FL and they are called Palmetto's here. My house is not treated and the few bugs I run into I just shoo them on their way or the cats get them. I would hope a bug or two would not ruin a vacation. I don't necessarily think of FL of a eco-destination, I do think of CR as that. In a place like CR, things like pesticides have repurcusions beyond the immediate satisfaction of killing a bug.

faithie

I live in a pesticide free town , with cities all around us following the same path , so am familiar with the contraversy surrounding this issue. Raid is toxic to the envoirment , not something I would ever think to take to Costa Rica, nor would I want to breathe it in in an enclosed room .......

missypie

A pesticide free town - really? So when a house is simply overrun by roaches, do they just give the house over to the roaches, or do they bring in a bunch of cats, or what?

wanatrvl

Most likely you aren't going to see any roaches. I did, but I brought my family to a different type of accomodation than I think you (missypie) are even thinking of going to. You will not need Raid...we barely even needed Deet for that matter.

faithie

I live in Quebec , and roaches generally do not overtake houses here ..... Has not made any headlines anyway !!!lol ... And yes , a pesticide free town , Hudson , St.Lazare , Vaudreuil-Dorion , etc.etc. The general attitude is that we care more for our health than our lawns etc. You can apply for special permits if you do have an infestation of some sort ( the town first verifies this ) . All pesticides at hardware stores are under lock and key . I think it's brilliant . Just for example a lot of snorkeling and diving spots ask you not to wear " Deet " because it is not good for the fish , coral , etc. Just a bit of trivia !! Obviously your intentions are not to wrap your room in plastic and fumigate , just a can of Raid , but I do not think you can take it on the plane anyway ....?

faithie

Within the next few years the province of Quebec hopes to have a provincal "ban" on pesticides . Probably the ill-effects are costing the healthcare system too much . Our town motto is " Pesticide Free , Naturally " .

missypie

I was thinking that the pesticide free towns had to be "up north." I wonder if any "southern" towns could go pesticide free. I guess the fire ants haven't made it up to Quebec yet.

Down here in Texas, pretty much everyone I know has a contract with an exterminator, for regular spraying inside and out. Without spraying, huge fire ant mounds form outside, making it dangerous for kids to play outside (it's like a bee sting and some people are highly allergic). Inside, we get spiders, water bugs and ants unless we spray. As I mentioned earlier, the spray doesn't kill the geckos, who have become quite common in my area in the last 5 years.

greenfieldhunter

WOW Faithie- I am very impressed. I had no idea our neighbors to the north were this progressive.

Unfortunately I think it will be a long time before we pry the lawn care products and insecticides from suburban America.

Missypie I must smile - Whenever I think of suburban Texas I think of the show King of the Hill.
What would Hank, Boomhower, and Dale think if you tried to take their lawn care products and bug spray away? Might as well try and take their flag down.
Maybe this is a Texas thing, hence the sterotype in the cartoon?

Missie I do live in the south (mother state- birthplace of presidents) We do not have a contract with a pest control company despite living very close to a barn.
We also do not have the huge bugs I have seen in the deep south- especially in the old historic houses. Reguardless, most of the people I know who do live there do not spray either-mainly because of their pets and said pets alternative diets.

The people I know who do spray still have bugs- they are just usually dead or dying when you spot them.

I realize whe have strayed far from the topic of travel but since we have- How do you feel about these chemicals being used liberally on your food sources?