Bugs and rodents

Melia,

Glad you found the information helpful.

Continuation of the racial mix on St. Thomas: As you gathered from my previous responses yes to some degree there is some differences created based on income/status however not on a very great level. What I mentioned was among junior high school students - and this was not so much based on income but on school attended. There are in elementary schools children from better off families and others from families living in government substidized apartments. In Junior High the same. And in High School (depending on public or private) you will find a little of the same; but scewed greatly at private schools although not always. So children attending the same school regardless of income assumed that families have - not often will you find issues of income coming up. However you might find issues between one public school vs. a private school based on the assuption that the private schools kid for some reason or the other think they are better; better finacially, better in sports, better looking girls - or whatever. Perhaps I have mis-described the situation; when I have seen this happen it has been between public and private schools located in and around Charlotte Amalie. Since schools get out around the same time, the the children would be walking home or to the parents work place at the same time - and frequently you hear boys making comments to other boys in a 'picking/nagging' way. This issue doesnt trascend to adults. You are not atomatically disliked in St. Thomas because of color or income; people here are pretty open to giving people a chance to be liked on their own merit. Now in terms of the islands neighborhoods - yes its fair to say that people with money might live in more expensive neighborhoods, and their might be a mixture of whites, blacks, hispanics living there. And then there are neighborhoods around housing communities and more often then not the populations there will be hispanics or blacks. On this basis yes there is an income division. Please let me know if I have clarified this any.

As for bugs; roaches yes there here - they like moisture and food - so keep your kitchen immaculate. And even then sometimes they find a way under the doors - pesky things - you might want to get some roach bait if you find them in you house. Not a big problem though. Grasshopers - yes, dont see them often unless you have lots and lots of garden, trees, grass area around the house - youll see them from time to time in the garden. Never see them that much. Big Bugs - LOL not sure what they might be; spider, scorpions, milipedes, centipedes, tralantula (sp??)... all of the above are here. Spider get inside the house and usually stay up in corners - dust often and youll get them, they arent very big and arent bothersome - just take a wet napkin and wipe them up if you dont want them in the house, or catch them and put them out if you dont want to kill it. Scorpions also come out when its moist out or so it seems - dont see them much. Same with Tralantulas - in the last 10 years probally seen two, one someone caught and another that got in the house - scary things - LOL. Milipedes - not often. Flies come around dead animals (if you have a cat outside and they catch a lizard or mouse), if you have dogs and they poop outside - flies usually come around, if you have garbage outside - flies are attracted. So if you keep things clean around usually not a problem, and in general not a problem anyway. Mosquitos come around a lot if you have stagnent water around the house, planters, buckets, puddles, empty containers.... they can be particularly annoying during rainy times. Noseeums you find at the beach when its rainy and the sand is wet or in the late afternoons at the beach. Rats yes - you will often see them where there is garbage; so if you are keeping your garbage outside for a couple days until you can take it to the public dumpsters then get a big garbage can with a cover so you can put garbage bags in there. (If you are thinking now about garbage collectors coming house to house - no that doesnt exisit here really - people take their garbage to the dumpster themselves) Snakes -not likely youll see any - and if you do your lucky as they are endangered in the VI. Oh lizards - lots of them, little tree lizards and ground lizards and geckos. From time to time they get in the house the little ones, you can catch them and put them back outside, or leave them inside to eat the spiders LOL.

Hope that helps out.
--Islander

Islander...scorpions?!
If you had told me that last July, I probably wouldn't be sitting in Hull Bay now! LOL.
No, seriously, where...how big...how often?

Melia--re. roaches. I am scared to death of roaches. yes, we have seen, maybe, four, in our home since July. Lots of screaming and hysteria (on my part), all very dramatic. nonetheless, i have seen more in new york city over a three-day visit.

Hey you forgot about ...dem mongoose...we love um..

yes Onika scorpions and tralantulas.... 🙂 The tralantulas I have seen range from small ones - usually live in the soil or under rocks - about the size of a quarter with legs. Then I saw one really big one not too long ago it was like the size of lets see like the size of a small womans hand (body and legs of the creature). Scorpions havent seen often - again usually under rocks. The ones I have seen were all relatively small - about the size of a penny in length not width 🙂 with a tail/stinger.

Like I said dont see them often.

And yes we have lots of Mongoose - they will generally run from you.

--Islander

Onika: In 8 1/2 years I have seen 2 scorpions, tiny ones, both in the same room in Bolongo within 2 weeks of Marilyn. I do shake out shoes that have been sitting around, though...;-) Have seen more tarantulas, but they are usually in dark corners and don't do any harm. Roaches here are much smaller and less frequent than Texas roaches!!