As a tropical country, mosquitoes in Costa Rica are everywhere all year long. They are a huge concern for traveler since there are some diseases you can get from mosquitoes.
Here is what you need to know about mosquitoes in Costa Rica and we included a list of our recommended mosquito repellent. Ever since I moved to Costa Rica from the US 6 years ago, I’ve tested out lots of products!
Mosquito Borne Diseases: Dengue, Malaria, Chikungunya and Zika in Costa Rica
Dengue: Unfortunately, Costa Rica is the leading country in Central America with over 14,000 reported cases in 2013 and nearly 8,000 in 2016. In Guanacaste, cases of dengue fever have increased in the past few years and there is no vaccine available. There are 4 different types of this viral disease and is treatable for acute or mild cases.
Malaria: Malaria is not common in Costa Rica. According to the Ministerio de Salud (department of health), there have been 93,030 cases of malaria since 1957 with 8 cases in 2012. They’ve reduced malaria over 90% since 2000.
Chikungunya virus: Also present in Costa Rica and doesn’t have a vaccine or cure. It was found for the first time in the Americas in 2013, before it was only in Africa, Asia and Europe. The most affected provinces are Puntarenas and Guanacaste with symptoms of fever, joint paint and headache. However, a person can be infected and not know but symptoms show up 3-12 days after getting bit.
Zika: Zika has been around since the 1950’s mostly in Asia and Africa but has been showing up in North America the past couple years. As of February 2016, there has been a reported and confirmed case of a tourist falling ill with Zika after visiting Samara but it is not as prevalent as the news makes it to be. Dengue is the one to be concerned about.
We recommend purchasing Costa Rica travel insurance because just in case you do get dengue or some other disease, you can be covered when it comes to medical emergencies.
Which Areas Have the Worst Mosquitoes in Costa Rica?
Mosquitoes generally do not live above elevations of 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) so the worse areas are on the coasts. These are places like Guanacaste beaches, the Caribbean, Nicoya Peninsula, Osa Peninsula and Central/South Pacific.
You will find some mosquitoes in the Central Valley but not much. There aren’t mosquitoes in Monteverde as that area is around 1600-2000 meters in elevation.
Mosquitoes also like swimming pools so be careful when you’re laying out at your hotel pool.
Worst Time of Year for Mosquitoes in Costa Rica
In tropical countries, mosquitoes are present all year long. However, there are some times of the year when they are especially abundant.
Since mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, rainy season (end of April to beginning of December) is the worst time of year for mosquitoes. Unfortunately streets in Costa Rica do not have good drainage and when it rains hard, drains get clogged. Huge pools of water stay on the streets for days and weeks allowing mosquitoes to breed prolifically.
Best Insect Repellent Against Mosquitoes in Costa Rica
Here are the best products we tried and recommend that you bring for your trip to Costa Rica. We recommend bringing mosquito repellent for your trip because it is expensive in Costa Rica. Additionally, there aren’t a lot of options if you prefer natural products.
I’m not a huge fan of DEET but personally, I found that’s the only type of repellent that really works for me for a long period of time because I am a mosquito magnet. It’s different for everyone though so what works for me may not work for you.
Spray
Many sprays come with 10%-30% DEET but I found that I still get bit sometimes with those. I need at least 30%. You can find sprays up to 100% and the one we used was 98.11% which worked amazing!
There is a brand called Jungle Juice you can buy at REI or this brand, Repel 100 which we really like. It’s a little bottle but you don’t need much and it’s the perfect travel size. Whenever we go to the national parks or into the jungle for hiking, we always use this one and we don’t get bit at all.
Another one we like is Ben’s Max. This one contains around 30% DEET and works great. I could see the bugs hovering over my arm but never got bit!
Natural spray
For those who don’t want to use DEET, the Repel Natural is one of my favorite DEET free products because it does work and smells like lemon. It doesn’t last super long for me though, I found it only worked for about half an hour and then I had to reapply.
I recently found another one called Bull Frog Mosquito Coast that doesn’t use DEET and also has sunscreen. It actually works for me! But I do need to reapply every couple hours but for a non-DEET product, this one is my favorite. I love that it also has sunscreen in it so I only have to apply one product one instead of two.
Mosquito Repellent Wipes
Mosquito wipes are great for those who don’t like to use sprays especially for the face and neck. It is also very convenient to carry and you can take them on on the plane with you. These are 30% and lasts up to 10 hours.
We tried these on our legs and arms and they worked well for us but not a full 10 hours. Luckily it barely takes up any space so it’s easy to reapply and when you’re hiking, it’s much easier and lighter to carry than bottles and spray cans.
Insect Repelling Bands
These insect bands don’t contain DEET so it is also ideal for those who don’t like spraying chemicals all over their body. It contains Geraniol, a plant based material that repels mosquitoes.
These bands are for your wrists and feet and you can just snap it on and leave it for a couple days. They are water friendly and works up to 120 hours.
We used them on our ankles but we also combined it with a little bit of spray because with the bands alone, I still got bit and it definitely didn’t work for 120 hours. At least it smells good and you don’t have to wash bug spray off of yourself at the end of the day.
I don’t recommend depending solely on these bands, still use a bit of spray if you use them.
Mosquito Repellent Lotion
This mosquito lotion comes with a sponge so you can rub in the lotion with that instead of your hands. It’s good up to 12 hours (time release) with 33% DEET and it worked great for us.
The lotion was a tad heavy so you definitely feel like you’re wearing it, it’s not as light as I’d like. I only used it on my legs and arms and even those annoying little gnats stayed away. This one isn’t as quick as putting on a spray but you can make sure that you got all exposed areas covered. I don’t prefer the lotion, to be honest I like the spray better.
Mosquito repellent clothing
Quite a few outdoor sports brands have developed an insect repellent technology that they put in some of their clothes.
Columbia is one of them and we have one of their bug shield shirts which we love.
However, I don’t recommend depending on solely the clothing to keep bugs away if it is a short sleeve shirt or capri pants since part of your skin will still be exposed. Get long sleeve shirts and long pants with bug shield or cover the exposed areas with something light like a wipe or a moderately low DEET spray.
Since there are several brands, it’s good to read reviews or talk to the salesperson before you invest in buying the clothing since they can get quite expensive. We love our Columbia shirts!
DEET Alternative
We did try a DEET alternative spray called Avon Skin so soft. It contains Picaridin which is still a synthetic chemical compound. I recently discovered this and it’s much more pleasant smelling than DEET. It also works decent for me. I recommend reapplying every hour or two.
Afterbite Itch Eraser
If you do get bit, you’ll want to put something on those bites especially if they swell. I once got bit over 20 times in Nicaragua on my calves and the only thing that saved me was hydrocortisone cream as my bites swelled up very bad!
The After bite eraser also works well and we found that it took away the itchiness pretty fast. You just dab a little bit on and let it do it’s magic. Both do wonders in taking away swelling and itchiness.
These are only a small sampling of the myriads of products out there to repel mosquitoes but these are ones that we have tested and worked for us. Always be sure to read the labels first and read reviews to see which ones will work best for you and your needs.
For the best protection, cover up. That is the only surefire protection against mosquitoes. So for little ones, I highly recommend covering up instead of covering them in sprays and lotions. Wear long pants and long shirts especially in the national parks and forests. And when using repellent, the key is to reapply.
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Need some tips on what to bring for Costa Rica? Check out our Costa Rica packing list.
Need some tips about sunscreen? Here are the best sunscreens for Costa Rica plus the different ones you can find here.
Dragan says
Interestingly, Monteverde was the only place I found full of mozzies last October. There were no mozzies anywhere else.
Sammi says
Hi Renee, you’re very welcome. That would be interesting to hear if the Vitamin b-1 shot works. I have noticed that when I eat a lot of garlic I get less bites but that would require me eating a lot of garlic every day haha. I hate being a mosquito magnet but they seriously love me so I always have repellent with me. I recommend buying one of those travel size ones so you can always have some with you if you’re going out to dinner or sightseeing.
Renee says
Thanks for all this great info! I too am a mosquito magnet. My husband, teen daughter and I are planning our first trip to CR in late July. I have bookmarked a couple of these items for purchase later on Amazon. I’ve not had much luck with “natural” remedies so I generally have to rely on deet. I also read in several places recently that taking vitamin B-1 for a few days prior and during exposure to mosquitoes helps a lot. Apparently it makes you taste bad? Worth a shot; can’t hurt.
Terri Lerner-frey says
My husband & I have been coming to CR for years. The last 2 years we’ve spent almost 2 months. Partly in Atenas in the Central Valley & partly on the coast, this year Guanacaste. We’ve noticed that each year we get more bug bites than the year before. We have not seen mosquitoes & the bites don’t quite look like mosquito bites. I was wondering if you know what they might be. They itch like crazy for a couple days & then we’re ok. Thanks
Sammi says
Those are probably purrujas, or midges/sand flies if it hurts when they bit. They are teeny tiny but they bite hard and their bites swell and hurt. They’re very common at the beach and they come out at sunset.
Leah says
My family will be visiting Costa Rica the last week in November. We’re scheduled to fly in to Liberia with the intention of spending lots of time at the beach, but now I’m getting really worried about Dengue. My kids will be 3 years old and 8 months old and I’m so scared about them getting bitten. We don’t have any lodging booked yet so we could definitely do something else besides the beach. Is that the best course of action? I keep trying to remind myself that babies are likely born in Guanacaste all the time and do just fine, but I can’t stop thinking that I’m putting my kids in danger. Any thoughts?
Sammi says
Hi Leah, getting Dengue Fever is not very common, it is a problem in Costa Rica but it’s not like every person who goes there or lives there gets it. I’ve lived there for 5 years and never gotten it. Yeison is Costa Rican and never gotten it. The people we know who have gotten it are locals who have lived there their whole lives and they have only gotten it once in their 40 something years. So it’s rare and you’d have to be super duper really unlucky if you get it on a short trip for your first time. THe locals don’t really use bug repellent and yes, there are a ton of babies and kids in Guanacaste 😉 you will see kids everywhere. Just make sure to use repellent every time you go outside and reapply but the best repellent is covering up. And at the beach, the worst times are sunrise and sunset for mosquitoes so as long as you use repellent and cover up, it is not likely to get Dengue fever. I’ve been bitten probably thousands of times over the course of my 5 years there (mosquitoes freaking love me) and have never gotten any sort of mosquito disease and we live at the beach.
Leah says
Thank you! I can’t tell you how much that puts my mind at ease!
Caitlin says
So happy I found this post! We’re headed to Costa Rica in October, and I am getting so worried about the bugs!
Am definitely ordering a number of these for our trip! Thank you for all the great info!!!!
Sammi says
Awesome that’s great! Glad to hear the post is helpful!
Becky says
Hi! I love all of your blogs. I am coming to CR on Thursday for a week and staying in Arenal and Jaco. I am getting worried about the mosquitoes this time of year. I bought 100% deet and 30% wipes. Should I apply it any time I am outdoors? Even at the pool in jaco? I appreciate any advice you have!!
Sammi says
Hi Becky, I recommend using mosquito repellent every time you go outside. You don’t need to wear repellent into the pool since you’ll be in the water but if you’re going to be laying out, I do recommend having it because mosquitoes like water – they breed in stagnant water actually and the pool is one of the worst places since there are usually always a lot of mosquitoes around.
Robin says
My daughter will be doing work at the field station (hatchery for the leatherback turtle) in La Tortuga the first part of June. Because DEET will kill the embryos of the eggs they collect, they have to use something else.
They will be patrolling the beach 4 hours each night so sand fleas are also a big issue.
Looking for good mosquito nets that can be used with bunk beds.
Looking for ideas on products without DEET for the times they will be handling eggs.
Should she be taking any particular vitamin to make herself less tasty?
Worried about various mosquito born illnesses as well as sand fleas.
Serene says
Hi there! Thanks for all of the great info! I am traveling to CR in December, and I am a total mosquito magnet. I was going to get the Repel 100, but have heard issues with it melting the plastic cap, and the ziplock bag if you carry it in one. I was going to go with a 30% formula instead. What are your thoughts on this? Is the stronger formula that much better? Or does it just last longer?
Sammi says
Hi Serene! Yes the 100 is pretty intense haha. I’m a huge magnet for mosquitoes and I only use the 100 when I am going into the dense jungle such as Corcovado National Park. The rest of the time I use the 30-40% deep forest one and it works alright, but I need to reapply like every hour since mosquitoes loooove me. With the 100, I just put a tiny bit on and it works like magic but I do only use it when I’m going to places I know that are really bad for mosquitoes. 30-40 should be fine if you’re just going to be at the beach or not going into the deep jungle, and make sure you reapply 🙂
Christina says
I was in distressed for the bites the first week in CR. We are in Panama now, will return to CR and stay until the end of August.
There were not only mosquitos, some tiny black insects too. A week ago, one of the bites swelled up and started to have nerve pain around the muscle. I almost went to a clinic to get shots, but it was a National holiday, so the clinics were closed. A pharmacist in Maxi Pali ( chain grocery store) recommended a topical gel that stopped the intense itch and pain effectively.
I read the blogs before I came to CR. As I am a mosquitos magnet, ( I heard they like Asians.) My husband wasn’t affected at all.( he is Caucasian) . So I was prepared. However, I don’t like to use chemicals. If Deet can melt plastic and rayon, what will it do to you?!
I mixed my own bug repellent. Using Neem oil, lemon eucalyptus oil, cinnamon oil and coconut oil. It worked wonders in Oregon when we hiked. Especially, because there are many chiggers and ticks in some regions.
Obviously, my repellent didn’t work here. The bugs are too aggressive in Central America.
So, I concentrated the potions. With all the essential oils that I’d mentioned above, I added just a little bit of coconut oil . This time it worked! I have to reapply, of course, because it’s all natural products.
I also used Vicks, yes Vicks, for chest congestion when people have a cold. It also works wonders. But it’s too goopy. There’s a lot of applying and reapplying whenever you are outdoor. I felt exhausted from the process.
I wore a long sleeved top and pants and I tucked the legs under my socks.
Its ridiculously hot, what can you do !
Sammi says
Hi Ashley, mosquitoes will be around no matter what but just make sure to spray them every time you go out and reapply after going in the water, etc. The clothing spray will help a ton. Millions of tourists visit Costa Rica every year including kids and newborns, it’s actually not very common to get mosquito illnesses (all the very few people I know who have gotten dengue are those who live in CR) and as long as you’re putting on repellent, you are being responsible and doing everything you can for your kids. Costa Rica is a huge family destination and kids of all ages come here and have an amazing time!
As for safety, honestly don’t read the US embassy website because it’ll have all these warnings for every single country in the world, whereas the US has actually gotten more dangerous to be honest. Over a million tourists travel to Costa Rica every year, including solo female travelers and the crime here is very minimal for tourists. Since tourism is one of the biggest resources for Costa Rica, crime against tourists is quite low. Also, Manuel Antonio is a very touristic area, probably the most touristic destination in all of Costa Rica so you’ll see hundreds of other tourists and everyone is super friendly. Hundreds of thousands of American tourists come to Costa Rica every year, they actually make up the majority of the tourists and it’s very rare to hear of crime towards a tourist here. Like any other country in the world, use your common sense (don’t leave your belongings unattended, don’t accept strangers offers to watch your stuff, etc.) and be extra aware but on the whole, Costa Rica is very safe. They don’t even have an army! Costa Rica is one of the most recommended countries for travelers when it comes to safety actually. Here are some safety tips you can read: Costa Rica safety tips
The most important thing is to use your common sense. Petty theft is probably the most common crime but most of the cases, it is because the person left their purse on the table unattended and went to the bathroom. Or left their stuff on the beach and went swimming for 2 hours. So always keep an eye on your stuff, use your common sense and never leave your belongings unattended.
Ashley says
Thank you for your mosquito advice. We are traveling to Manuel Antonio at the end of the month for 10 days. We have a 10 month old, 3 and 4 year old. I am so worried about them catching one of these awful mosquito borne illnesses. I am going to treat all of our clothing with permethrin beforehand and will be diligent with bug spray (although the strong deet scares me on our small children). I’m just worried because even if I’m very diligent I just don’t know how I can keep them covered 24/7 every single day. If the mosquitos are this big of an issue maybe we should cancel our trip? Are we being irresponsible for taking them? The reason for the trip is our four year old son has a profound love for nature. His love for animals is so strong that we wanted to take him to the rainforest and foster his passion.
Now I am also worried about the crime. When you go to the us embassy website for CR it has a posted warning about violent crime toward American tourists and talks about kidnapping and armed robbery!
Any thoughts and reassurance are much appreciated. At this point I think I’m going to be so scared for their safety I’m not going to enjoy the trip anyway.
Thank you!!
Nancy says
We will be in Arenal and Tamarindo next week. Which location is likely to have more Mosquitos? And does the spray for clothing have a lingering scent is it really effective. Also do you know if the private transports between resorts are relatively safe.
Sammi says
Definitely Tamarindo since mosquitoes don’t generally live above elevations of 6,500 feet (2,000 meters), so the worse areas are at the beach and the jungle. There are still mosquitoes in Arenal but not as much. As for the spray, I didn’t notice a lingering scent and I think it works fairly well. Yes, private transports between resorts, if you mean private shuttles, are safe. If you take a taxi, take an official taxi
Misti says
We will be in Guanacaste and Arenal mid March. We are pale people so will be using sunscreen and bug spray. Our favorite sunscreen when not in salt water is Bullfrog Gel. Do you have any advice with mixing sunscreen and bug repellent?
Sammi says
I’ve never mixed them together, usually I’ll put on sunscreen first since we use lotion kind, rub it in completely and then spray with bug repellent. Seems like it works pretty well
Alfred says
Hi,
are there any good evaporators for the socket to keep a sleeping room mosquito free?
I thought about bringing one with me but here in Germany you only get it for 220V.
So I think it’s better to purchase them in Heredia.
But what and where?
Thanks
Alfred
yeison says
HI Alfred you can find something similar that works very well we call it “Plaquitas” this are little electric devices that you plug at night and they work very well, they cost from $7 to $10 USD.
Sandra F Clark says
Where are the Plaquitas sold?
Sammi says
You can find them at the supermarket
Nancy M says
Can these products be purchased in CR?
Sammi says
Majority of them, I am not sure about the bands or wipes, haven’t seen those but definitely the coils and basic mosquito repellent. Haven’t seen the Repel 100 either. It is really expensive here though, which is why I always recommend to bring it.
Rachel says
Thanks for writing this! We are going in July (I have been chatting with you and Yeison about hiking clothing and tours to Nicaragua) and I am a little nervous about dengue.
Do you put bug spray on every day? Or just days that you hike in the jungle?
If we wanted to use Repel 100, how many bottles would you buy for 2 people and 10 nights in Costa Rica?
Sammi says
Hey Rachel! I only put bug spray on whenever I go outside so even if I’m going for a walk or having dinner outside, I always put some on. They’re going to get a lot more intense now that it’s rainy season especially up here in Guanacaste (they reproduce in stagnant water which is common here). My advice is to always have a bottle with you, I can’t tell you how many times we ended up walking in the forest or somewhere and we were just attacked by those little buggers.
For the Repel 100, you can probably do fine with one bottle for two people since you’ll also be in Monteverde/Arenal and the mosquitoes aren’t bad there but there are still some other annoying bugs. However, mosquitoes are terrible in Guanacaste and Nicaragua so you can buy a 4 oz and a 1 oz extra just in case.
Rachel says
So would you still wear the bug spray in Monteverde and Arenal? It makes sense that it would be worse on Guanacaste. I think I need to stop reading about dengue, though, because it freaks me out too much!
Sammi says
I always wore long pants and jacket there but I wouldn’t worry too much about mosquitoes in those areas. I’ve never put on mosquito repellent there personally. But there are still other bugs so you can put some on for those just in case, and I don’t want you to tell you to not put it on and then you get bit by other insects haha.
Nancy Ellis says
Thanks, askmo. I don’t usually get bitten, not sweet enough I guess 8)
I will try the skin so soft first and also have deet as a backup just in case.
nancye says
Anyone have good results using Skin So Soft bath oil spray? I hate the idea of putting poison on my body!
Sammi says
I haven’t heard of that but when it comes to the natural products, I find it doesn’t product as good of results. So if you try it and it works well, let me know! I’d love to find something that isn’t pure DEET as well
Tutita says
Skin so Soft, Eucalyptus Oil, and Vinegar with a splash of water works good on animals. I’ve used it in my house, and have used it on my clothes.
yeison says
Wow thanks for tip, we might try it one day!
askmo says
Skin-so-soft as a mosquito repellent works great. I’ve been using it for more than 2 decades while hiking in the woods, and as an after-splash for showers in the summer-time to keep mosquitoes away. It’s repellent concept was introduced and heavily used among Military members decades ago, and has a higher safety and effectiveness rate because of the ‘oil’ vs. any other mosquito repellent that has aerosols and chemicals that can be more disruptive to the upper respiratory system. Hope this helps.
Sammi says
That is great to know! I’m always looking for something less chemical and better for the body. I’ll have to try it out, thanks!
Tutita says
we use it on our farm for the horses; repels flies, especially the biting kind…. if you know anyone with horses, tell em to spray it on the horses tail and belly, top of the fly mask around the ear holes, and on the horses hooves to keep bot flies from laying eggs in their hoofs. I use equal parts of skin so soft large bottle, with white vinegar, equal parts of eucalyptus oil and water (about 2 tbsp.) .
Jess Meddows says
Glad you re-shared this one on email! We’re moving to Thailand in mid October, and I’ve been wondering what was the best stuff to use. Like Costa Rica, I’ve been told that Chiang Mai (where we’re going), it’s not so much about malaria as it is about dengue fever.
Sammi says
Oh I can imagine they have a ton of mosquitoes too! No matter what it’s always important to protect yourself. I’m not sure about chiang mai but October is the rainiest month in Costa Rica and the mosquitoes are the worst during that time. Stay safe and have fun in Thailand! That’s so exciting!
Andy says
I am also a big target too mosquitos and I don’t eat that much Asian food. Maybe we just have sweet blood? Who knows, but we have tons of mosquitos here in Louisiana. I even have one of those electric tennis rackets hanging in my kitchen. They can be quite fun to play with at times.
Sammi says
The rackets can be more than bug killers but entertainment and mild exercise as well. Pretty funny! I can imagine Louisiana has a good chunk of mosquitoes, annoying things are everywhere!
Thomas says
The only ones I have used are the OFF spray/candles and some coils but I dont know what brand. The key is not having on scents I think. Whenever I am outside and have cologne on its like they send out a search party. Never even knew they made repellent clothing. Thats not a swatter its a tennis racquet! lol
Sammi says
The swatter is called “The Executioner” Isn’t that awesome? You can get more bugs because of the bigger surface area. The repellent clothing is pretty nifty and it doesn’t cost that much more than a regular hiking shirt (depends on the brand). I get bit even if I go outside and I just showered, I’m a magnet for those guys!