Did Chenille & Red Bugs Affect Bahamas Loyalists? No Significant Impact

The chenille (likely referring to caterpillars/larvae) and red bug (a mite, Trombicula spp.) were present in the Bahamas during the Loyalist influx (1780s), but they did not materially affect the Loyalist population.

Loyalists’ primary concerns were:

• Political allegiance & compensation claims.
• Establishing cotton plantations on thin soils.
• Threats from American privateers and Spanish incursions.
• Hurricanes and disease (yellow fever, malaria).

Arthropod nuisances were minor compared to these existential challenges.