www.CostaRicaTicas.com

As this will be my first trip to Latin America next week, I was wondering if the more experienced travellers here to CR can inform me whether insect repellent is required? Is there a bad mosquito situation? I'm hoping to take day trips outside of SJ as well.

Thanks

For SJ you don't need it. If you are going to be near the jungle then I would bring a can with me. Otherwise you are fine.

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[url=http://www.amishrakefight.org/gfy/]

In SJ, you definitely don't need it.

When we went out west to Guanacaste, I bought some because of the supposed mosquito problems there, but I never even used it.

There are much better ways to spend $8.

I took repellent to CR four times before I decided I didn't need it. I spent most of my time in SJ and never saw a single mosquito - nor very many other bugs - regardless of time of day.

I also visited Manual Antonio in February last year and Jaco last August and never wanted for repellent.

If you do decide to take some, I'd suggest the 100% deet. You can get the "Off" brand in a little spray bottle small enough for a carry-on.

I live here (in San Pedro, 5 ninutes from the gulch). NEVER have any problem with insects. My windows are open all the time with no screens and do not even have a problem with flys.

The only insect you are likely to run into are the pesky barflys in the Rey. jejeje And NO repelant works on them

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

And the parasites outside the DR. And there is no effective repellent for them either.

Orange, you are right, I completely forgot those insects. Sure wish someone would come up with a repellant for them

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

I live in the "suburbs" of San Jose, and I have some occasional mosquito problems, usually after a heavy rain and during rainy season, but downtown proper there is no problem with mosquitos. If you're going out to the beach, you might run into some problems with chiggers and/or sand fleas, but probably not enough to bother you. Most of my mosquito problems come when I'm asleep.. they bite you when you can't defend yourself

The western suburbs of San Jose occasionally have mosquitoes during the rainy season but not enough of them to create problems for most. Most mosquito species are low altitude dwellers.

During the rainy season if you are going to Limon or Guanacaste provinces you should take repellent as there is always the danger of dengue fever.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

There is also West Nile here, a friend contracted it from a mosquito bite about a year ago.

One other thing to keep in mind, though highly unlikely, is called "Botfly Infestation". Read this sobering tale.

http://www.vexman.com/botfly.htm

Botfly is almost exclusively found in the cattle raising areas of Guanacaste.

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Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine