Tanya934

Okay this may sound like a silly question but will i need to buy a plug in mosquito repellent for the Cook Islands? Going in early September and staying on a beachfront property so want to avoid being bitten by both mozzies and sand flies if i can. Didn't know if it was a waste of money or if they worked and if i needed it.

Nickolash27

You will need everything you can get - spray, oil, coils etc. The windy conditions at the beach might keep them down a bit but in sheltered areas, they love it. Most resorts have these things on hand, and are concerned about the risk of dengue and other diseases, so they take it seriously.

Exec_Plat

"Plug in"?

You'll want more than that...

jpatokal

Y'all are being a bit melodramatic here -- it's a tropical island, so yes, there are mosquitoes, but it's not like you're going to be devoured by ravenous hordes of them. You'll definitely want spray if you're planning on being out and about at dusk, but we used no repellents indoors in our off-the-beach lodgings and had no problems (insect netting on windows etc is standard).

Also, as far as I know there are no sand flies in the Cooks.

NZbutterfly

It's so funny I usually forget all about mozzies etc......until you get that first bite! I remember taking a walk (maybe an hour) along the beach on Aitutaki, came back and the exposed upper part of my back had many a bite!

I'm a fan of bushmans hut with deet.....but it does feel like you've been covered in maple syrup and the insects just get stuck and drown in it! However, I didn't have any new bites and that was the most important thing to me.

I'm not sure all those other plug ins, coils, wristbands really work. I've heard wristbands are really good......for that arm, ie wear 4, 1 for each limb. Coils, saw them used quite a lot in the cooks but I find I get less bites but still get bites.

I'd just stick with a spray or lotion insect repellant. The place is so beautiful you'll forget to mention mozzies when you get home and tell your friends about your trip

Tanya934

Have bought the bands from the local £ shop and the plug ins for the rooms so hopefully they'll be okay for both the Islands and New Zealand where sandflies are a menace. Thanks for the advice. I had spending my journeys home scratching bites when i just want to chill out and relax lol!

ypqRD

At the travel clinic where I got my vaccinations and my anti-malarials (my upcoming trip includes time in Vanuatu outside of Port Vila) I learned there are two kinds of mosquitos. The ones that carry Dengue, Zika, and Chikunguya bite in the day; the ones that carry malaria bite at night. That means that if you're outside a malarial area (and Cook Islands are not malarial) that evening bites, while irritating, aren't going to make you sick.

Spray, nets, coils, whatever the resort offers, are there for comfort. In the daytime, long sleeves if you can and plenty of DEET are there to keep you healthy.

Exec_Plat

Just like the sharks they told me about at snorkeling class!

cavemanzk

You'll be fine, if anything you have just as much chance of getting attacked by the mosise in Auckland as in Rarotonga.

In general sense most the Pacific Islands are pretty safe, and there is little risk of illness. You're more likely to have moped related injury in Rarotonga e.g. burning your leg on the exhaust pipe getting sick.

If anything being from New Zealand, its the last problem you think about when going to the Islands. It's more what food items do I want to get up with me, people taking anything from meat to fruit etc

Nickolash27

the mosquitos in NZ are not disease-carrying.

ypqRD

Malaria is transmitted by Anopheles mosquitos. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria for example. Dengue, Zika, Chik etc are transmitted by Aedes. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes for example. So eye rolling about two kinds of mosquitos is not only rude (which I can handle) but inaccurate. A quick search will show you that Aedes bite mainly in the day and Anopheles bite mainly at night.

SeriouslyLost

But they are more vicious. And they carry off small children when given half the chance.

NZbutterfly

NZ mozzies don't even hold a candle to those Ozzie chomping insects! Those midgies are just brutal!

Nickolash27

True. There's always a silver lining

ypqRD

Just FYI after my recent visit to the Cooks the mosquitos were nowhere near as bad as they would be in Ontario at this time of year. I used repellent on Pa's trek, but only met one mosquito the whole time. The rest of the time (including on Aitutaki since someone mentioned it upthread) I forgot and never seemed to have any issues. I may have picked up one bite at the Muri night market, but I can't be sure it was a mosquito. They were just not on my radar as an issue.