How are the bugs? What repellent works the best?
The bugs are just fine; thank you for asking! Although the Amazon certainly has it’s share of insects, including the biting types, insects are almost always less of a bother than most people anticipate. Mosquitoes are most active at dawn and dusk, but can be locally abundant at times. Noseeums can also be an early morning and late afternoon problem close to rivers, and various species of horseflies can be a nuisance on the rivers and in open areas. Judicial use of insect repellent combined with appropriate clothing can help prevent most discomfort however. Repellent containing Deet is the most effective, though some new products on the market (containing picaridin) seem to be quite effective as well. Skin-so-soft lotion is not very effective or long-lasting, in our experience. If you are using repellent with Deet, however, remember that Deet melts plastic – including tents, camera lens coatings, eye-glass coatings, and is also lethal to frogs and other small creatures. Avoid applying D
