case, utter eradication would be a very unrealistic expectation.

 With the above in mind, we can take a more informed view
whenever we're bitten. Naturally, there are several things an
individual can do to greatly alleviate the annoyance. The following
suggestions can be used in practically any combination, dependent
mostly on your own threshold of tolerance to being bitten (and
on your pocketbook!).

 Personal Protection. Research into effective repellents is an
active concern of several military, government and private organiza-
tions. Over 25,000 chemicals have been tested, and very few are
better than the ones already commercially available. Plants are
often tested for their repellent properties. Local lore has it that
leaves and fruit of the female genip tree are repellent to sand flies,
and that groves of that tree are free of the flies. However, it does
not appear that these claims can be confirmed by objective re-
search. Nothing seems to have come of an effort in the early
1970's by a pharmaceutical company to develop the genip into
repellent.

 a. Personal-use repellents. Protection for up to three to five
hours per application is possible with commercial insect repel-
lents applied to the skin. In the product you buy, look for the
main active ingredient N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET),
which is far more effective than dimethyl-phthalate (DMP) or
ethyl hexanediol, alone. Liquid and paste formulations are the
most effective and economical because they are more concentrated
and can be more efficiently applied. Commercially impregnated
towelettes are also good. Never over-apply the repellent -- a little
works just as well as a lot. All exposed skin must be covered,
especially the ankle area, and you should wear a hat unless you
want to treat your hair, which sand flies can and do get into.
Avoid applying near your eyes or mouth. Since sweat "washes"
it away, a repellent loses its effectiveness more quickly if you are
perspiring.

 b. Alternatives. Because of the disadvantages of applying a
repellent directly to the skin (they cause rashes in sensitive people,
need to be frequently re-applied, can damage furniture, varnished
finishes, plastics, painted surfaces, and some synthetic fabrics),
people understandably would like to know about alternatives to
skin treatment. An approach worth mentioning but far from
proven for sand flies, is the oral ingestion of extra doses of the
B-complex vitamin supplement, thiamine hydrochloride, several
hours before an expected exposure period. One to two 100 mg.
tablets taken two hours before exposure, and repeated every 12
hours, is thought to provide some relief against mosquitos. A very
promising alternative appears to be offered by the application of


DEET (and other recently developed repellents) to fabrics and
structures (such as window screens). Although the concept is still
in its infancy, repellent-treated lightweight and wide mesh jackets
(see photo) and all-purpose netting both provide good protection
for several weeks to months. These are still difficult to find,
although they are being sold by a few outfitting companies, such
as Cole Outdoor Products of America (Lincoln, Nebraska). Recent
research in Puerto Rico and Florida has shown that repellent-
treated jackets keep away 98-99% of all sand flies.


Repellent-treated wide mesh jacket can serve as protection against
attack from sand flies.




 the fishery inc.

 The Wheatly Center, St. Thomas
 Virgin Islands 00801
 Area Code 809 774-6995

 Fresh & Frozen Seafood
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