Spiders
Spiders, like snakes, have an exalted position among people’s phobias. There are a lot of spiders here, but most are small and innocuous. Tarantulas are cryptic and seldom seen; they are harmless anyway!
Scorpions
Scorpions are not that often encountered, and none of the species found in Costa Rica are known to be dangerous. In fact, their stings are scarcely more harmful or painful than bee stings. However, shake out your boots before putting them on!
Biting insects
`Biting’ insects come in several groups, but only three are worthy of mention: mosquitoes, midges (or no-see-ms) and horse flies. These flies (Diptera) don’t bite; they pierce and suck! – No matter where you are, or at what time of the day and night, they have you covered. But, their nuisance value is not that high (at least not anything like as bad as you may have experienced in parts of North America and Europe), and most repellents confer effective protection.
Stinging insects
`Stinging’ insects, the bees, wasps, and ants (Hymenoptera) are very prevalent, and while their stings can be very painful, unprovoked attacks are rare. So, called `killer bees’ do occur in Costa Rica, but the threat from them is no greater here than in any other area of their range.
We recommend you bring with you:
- Insect repellent
- Antihistamine tablets
- Cream for alleviating insect bites and stings