sand flies
Hello!
We plan to travel NZ on april 2011.
As Canadians we are use to mosquitoes and others bitting- flyng devices.....what about sand flies? Are they more abundant in South island......allround year?
Congratulations for this useful site
Hello,
Yes, sandflies are more prolific in the South Island then the North Island. Worse places for them are the West Coast and Fiordland. They like cooler weather and plenty of surface water.
But certainly don't let them put you off enjoying NZ. A good insect repellant and keeping covered up will see you right.
Go to the "search text" field on the left hand side of this screen and type "sandflies". You will find there have been lots of discussions on this forum about sandflies. There is lots of advise there too, some good and some dubious I imagine. If you are used to bity things then I suspect sandflies won't be too much of an issue. They are only out in daylight so at least you can sleep in peace.
I take a B1 tablet twice weekly(I checked with our doctor first) all year.I am dubious about applying repellants because some have scary chemicals in them.Sandflies still bite,but I don`t itch or swell.Marmite on your toast will have the same effect,but you`ll need to use a jar per day!
If you spend bulk time in the outdoors,you`ll be impressed.
This is from a post I did some time ago. I can certainly recommend this stuff. I used it many times and it works like magic.
"As for repelling sand flies, I last used the old fashioned mix of Citrus oil, Detol, meths and baby oil. Keep away from your eyes. It worked a treat, didn't get bitten once.
Also take lots of Vitimin B for a couple of weeks before you go, they hate it. Vegemite a great source".
This Vitamin B business is intriging. It can't be validated in research yet some people swear by it. Whether it is B1, B6 or B12, people are taking it and some mention it doesn't always work. Some people take brewers yeast. Much as I like vegemite, don't think I can go a whole jar a day...
You have a similar "pest" in Canada,they're called Blackflies?
They're okay on sunny, breezy days. But become very active on overcast days with a hint of rain in the air. They also don't like the cold or altitude.
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| Forum | The campfire |
|---|---|
| Started by | Paul55 |
| On | 11 July 2010 |
| Replies | 6 |
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