# Critter Question on Big Island



## suzanne (Sep 26, 2011)

Since I terrified of snakes was very HAPPY to hear there are no snakes in Hawaii. But was wondering what other critters there are to watch out for. We have 2 weeks on Big Island next November and in looking at photos of the 2 resorts it appears that the balconies are not screened in. Does the Big Island have any mosquito, ant, cockroach issues that we need to be aware of? Has anyone used those clip on OFF things and if so do they work and can we get them at Costco once there? I hate ants but after 12 years in SE Florida have learned to deal with them, but have never had to deal with cockroaches. Read some threads on tripadvisor that the Islands have a problem with them and I just want to make sure I am prepared and don't run screaming from the condos if I see one. I have only seen 2 since we moved to Florida 12 years ago and those were big suckers, but were outside not in house. Been to various Carribbean Islands and never saw a one. Hate bugs!!!:ignore: 

Suzanne


----------



## Luanne (Sep 26, 2011)

The only "critters" we seem to see with much frequency are geckos and turkeys.  

I know the islands are supposed to have cockroaches, and I probably have seen some over the years, but I honestly don't remember them being a huge problem.  Years ago though I remember thinking the difference between a nice resort and a not so nice one, was that in the nice resorts someone came and srayed for you every day, in the not so nice you had to provide your own spray.  But, that said, I don't think we've had to buy anything, or spray recently.


----------



## DeniseM (Sep 26, 2011)

I would FAR rather have a few bugs - than have poison sprayed in my unit.

There will be mosquitos in wet areas - especially hiking in jungle areas, or after a lot of rain.


----------



## Luanne (Sep 26, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> I would FAR rather have a few bugs - than have poison sprayed in my unit.
> 
> There will be mosquitos in wet areas - especially hiking in jungle areas, or after a lot of rain.



I honestly don't remember any mosquitos on the Big Island.  And if they were there they would have found me.  I'm a real bug magnet, especially those who like to bite.  

Maybe it depends on the time of year.  We usually go during the summer.


----------



## lynne (Sep 26, 2011)

Our animal population though not numerous has mongoose, wild turkeys, wild peacocks, wild boar, many different species of birds.  Our insects are plentiful and the most intrusive are mosquitoes, cockroaches, cane spiders and centipedes.


----------



## Passepartout (Sep 26, 2011)

If you are lucky, you'll have geckos. They have a voracious appetite for insects. Many friendly little geckos= fewer bugs. Nice equation, I think.

Jim


----------



## Kauai Kid (Sep 26, 2011)

Far and away the most dangerous critters on the island are Timeshare sales people.  

They are numerous and they are almost more dishonest than politicians. 

Beware, they speak with forked tongues.

:hysterical: 


Sterling


----------



## suzanne (Sep 26, 2011)

thanks all. Would love to see wild boar or turkey. We have lots of gheckos here in Florida so they don't bother me at all. Glad to hear there is not a large problem with any of the bugs.

Suzanne


----------



## BevL (Sep 26, 2011)

Never really had any mosquito issues on the Big Island - not on the Kona side anyway.

I really hate the mongoose - or is it mongeese??  Mongooses??  They're not aggressive or anything but I hate rodents, any kind of rodents, so they freak me out a bit.


----------



## hintok (Sep 26, 2011)

*Centipedes and Milipedes*

We were in Kona for two weeks in January and the last morning one of each came up through the shower drain.  We notified the front desk and someone came to remove them and said they would spray.


----------



## MuranoJo (Sep 26, 2011)

Just got back from the BI and we saw mongoose, wild turkeys, a single cockroach outside the resort (never inside), a scorpion who seemed lethargic on the sidewalk outside, anoles (i.e., tree lizards), and only one pushy t/s sales person.  

No mosquitoes and no bugs inside the unit.


----------



## Kauai Kid (Sep 27, 2011)

BevL said:


> Never really had any mosquito issues on the Big Island - not on the Kona side anyway.
> 
> I really hate the mongoose - or is it mongeese??  Mongooses??  They're not aggressive or anything but I hate rodents, any kind of rodents, so they freak me out a bit.



I'm pretty sure a Mongoose is not a rodent but a rodent killer.  Believe it is related to a weasel.

Sterling


----------



## Sandy VDH (Sep 27, 2011)

We alway see the mongoose.  Can't say I have seen a wild boar, but there are some wild donkeys.


----------



## Ron98GT (Sep 27, 2011)

I live in Las Vegas and the only critter mentioned here that scares me is that scorpion (we have them), didn't know that Hawaii had scorpions.

Frommer's mentions them & other bugs, yuk:

http://www.frommers.com/destinations/hawaii/0781020149.html


----------



## BevL (Sep 27, 2011)

Kauai Kid said:


> I'm pretty sure a Mongoose is not a rodent but a rodent killer.  Believe it is related to a weasel.
> 
> Sterling



You're right, they're related to the cat family.  However, they slink around and look like large squirrel-rat things to me. 

But again, they're not aggressive or anything.   Just my personal phobia.


----------



## DeniseM (Sep 27, 2011)

Kauai Kid said:


> I'm pretty sure a Mongoose is not a rodent but a rodent killer.  Believe it is related to a weasel.
> 
> Sterling



The mongoose was introduced to Hawaii as a rat killer - but they are not, and it was a dismal failure.  They have no natural predators so they have multiplied out of control.


----------



## suzanne (Sep 27, 2011)

Never seen a Mongoose. We saw wild donkeys when we went to Sedonna this past May, they were adorable. Glad to hear no one has seen bugs in the units. (excluding pushy TS salepeople).  Not exactly sure what a centipede is. Never thought that scorpions would be there. I think of them as desert critters.

Suzanne


----------



## Luanne (Sep 27, 2011)

Saw a very cool chameleon in Volcano Village.

And while I've seen signs for donkeys all over the island, I've never seen an actual donkey.

The turkeys we've seen were on the golf course at Paniolo Greens.  Also saw a lot of them on Molokai.


----------



## MuranoJo (Sep 27, 2011)

Ron98GT said:


> I live in Las Vegas and the only critter mentioned here that scares me is that scorpion (we have them), didn't know that Hawaii had scorpions.
> 
> Frommer's mentions them & other bugs, yuk:
> 
> http://www.frommers.com/destinations/hawaii/0781020149.html


I believe a scorpion sighting is pretty rare on the BI.  The one we saw was on the sidewalk next to the steps up to the 2nd floor.  It was smaller, about 1.5" long, but hubby claims the sting from the smaller ones can be more potent than the larger ones.

I had heard the mongoose solution for the rats didn't work because rats are nocturnal and mongoose aren't.


----------



## LisaRex (Sep 28, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> The mongoose was introduced to Hawaii as a rat killer - but they are not, and it was a dismal failure.  They have no natural predators so they have multiplied out of control.



The mongoose was reportedly introduced on St. John to control the rat population, too, but it similarly failed. Turns out mongoose are diurnal and rats are nocturnal.  So the 'twain never met. 

That must have been one impressive mongoose salesman, though.


----------



## Ron98GT (Sep 28, 2011)

muranojo said:


> I believe a scorpion sighting is pretty rare on the BI.  The one we saw was on the sidewalk next to the steps up to the 2nd floor.  It was smaller, about 1.5" long, but hubby claims the sting from the smaller ones can be more potent than the larger ones.
> 
> I had heard the mongoose solution for the rats didn't work because rats are nocturnal and mongoose aren't.



Scorpions are like sharks, it's the one you don't see that you have to worry about.  They crawl into your hat (which is how my wifes DS got bite, in his house), shoes, and other clothing, so shake things out before you put them on, either in your room or on the beach.  

1.5" is still pretty good size, at least for Vegas.  They seem to like palm trees, which is how we get them from Arizona.


----------



## Kona Lovers (Sep 28, 2011)

lynne said:


> Our animal population though not numerous has mongoose, wild turkeys, wild peacocks, wild boar, many different species of birds.  Our insects are plentiful and the most intrusive are mosquitoes, cockroaches, cane spiders and centipedes.



Don't leave out the goats!


----------



## scrapngen (Sep 28, 2011)

There are some bee/wasp problems out in the Volcano National Park, but you probably won't run into them. They have no enemies (were introduced to the island somehow) and the nests get pretty big, but the rangers are aggressive in removing them...

I am a mosquito magnet and didn't have any problems even when hiking on the Hilo side.. just my own experience from a few trips...


----------



## Ron98GT (Sep 28, 2011)

Kona Lovers said:


> Don't leave out the goats!



And nobody has mentioned the chickens/roasters.  I know there is not as many as on Kauai, but I never got chased by a roaster on Kauai either.


----------



## DeniseM (Sep 28, 2011)

"roaster"    Pun or Freudian Slip?


----------



## Ron98GT (Sep 29, 2011)

DeniseM said:


> "roaster"    Pun or Freudian Slip?



Ooops, Freudian slip, mmmm roaster, err rooster.  Nice catch.


----------



## dsyrcle (Oct 1, 2011)

I read that the reason Kauai has so many chickens running around is because of the absence of mongoose. The mongooses destroy bird nests that are on the ground. 

We did have a problem one time, at a newer resort in Kona, with cockroaches on a ground floor unit. The overzealous maintenance person sprayed the room so heavily that we had to evacuate. If cockroaches are a major concern, I would avoid ground floor units. We usually see geckos wherever we stay.


----------



## Ron98GT (Oct 1, 2011)

dsyrcle said:


> I read that the reason Kauai has so many chickens running around is because of the absence of mongoose. The mongooses destroy bird nests that are on the ground.
> 
> We did have a problem one time, at a newer resort in Kona, with cockroaches on a ground floor unit. The overzealous maintenance person sprayed the room so heavily that we had to evacuate. If cockroaches are a major concern, I would avoid ground floor units. We usually see geckos wherever we stay.



Saw a lot of geckos on the big island, including in our room.  Don't remember seeing any geckos on Kauai.


----------



## Timeshare Von (Oct 1, 2011)

I seen a few rather large cockroaches often scampering away when you turn on the lights.  Someone one reported here about a rental car in Honolulu that was full of them, so they got another car from the rental desk.

As a general statement, however, they have never adversely affected *my* vacation.


----------



## Ron98GT (Oct 1, 2011)

Timeshare Von said:


> I seen a few rather large cockroaches often scampering away when you turn on the lights.



Which Island & which resort


----------



## jlr10 (Oct 1, 2011)

We did run in to cockroaches at Kona Coast.  We also saw 5 millipedes in the unit.  Not trying to scare you, just being honest.  I do believe it was the location of the unit.  It was a unit right by the dumpster and housekeeping kept piling trash in front of our door every day.:annoyed: We have stayed there 3 times and only in that one visit have we seen a bug.

We have run into mosquitoes on the Hilo side when going through the tropical gardens north of Hilo.  But they provide (or did at the time) bug spray as you begin the trail and at the bottom by the ocean.  We still got some bites so it would be hard to imaging hiking there without the spray.  Also felt them at Akaka falls.  I am very sensitive to them, they seem to love my universal donor type O blood!

The only other place I have seen them was at an inn in Kalaheo on Kauai. It was not the best unit and I pretty sure you are never going to find another tugger at that location (especially us,) so I wouldn't worry about it too much.


----------



## Ron98GT (Oct 2, 2011)

jlr10 said:


> We did run in to cockroaches at Kona Coast.



Oh, don't say the Kona Coast Resort. That's where I'm trying to get a 2 BR reservation for next year - Yuk.  

Supposed to be a Gold Crown resort- 80,500 points.


----------



## mb_cik (Oct 2, 2011)

We were in Waikoloa last month and saw goats, ferrel cats, mongoose, geckos, anoles, cockroaches, and snails. None in the room thankfully!


----------



## Timeshare Von (Oct 3, 2011)

Ron98GT said:


> Which Island & which resort



The Big Island . . . and several resorts actually . . . consider it part of the natural "wildlife" in a tropical climate.


----------



## Luanne (Oct 3, 2011)

Actually the worst problem we had with bugs was on Kauai.  These were not the creepy, crawly kind, but the teeny, tiny little flying critters.


----------



## suzanne (Oct 4, 2011)

We have 1 week at the Wyndham Kona Hawaiian and 1 week at the Hilton Waikola Beach Resort next November. Still looking at a 3rd week on Oahu. I hope we don't have any roach or ants in any of these resorts. YUK!! Does Costco or Walmart sell bug spray? 

Suzanne


----------

