In our quest for relief from this travellers blight we have made a few discoveries…
Firstly, we use and sell, Mosi-guard which is a natural insect repellent that has been scientifically proven to be more effective than the potent chemical repellants available, and yet it is all natural and safe — even for small children. Mosiguard works against Mosquitoes, Sandflies (Midges), Ticks and Leeches. Please find more information on the MosiGuard developers website.
You can buy Mosiguard here
Now to our other discoveries:
1. #~ Windex
Sitting at the drag races in the small town of Tom Price, in the Pilbara, we were being eaten alive by ferocious mozzies.
A neighbour told us about Windex, at the time we were keeping Windex in the vehicle all the time for when the red dust turned to mud on the windscreen, so we were rapt to find out that it was an excellent way to neutralise the toxin from those insect bites (including March flies).
The march flies were particularly vicious, and if you reacted (as I did) you could get a wildly itchy patch some 8cm across.
I had never heard of or experienced that before, where I come from march flies leave a bite not much worse than a mozzie.
So we were covered in bites, applied the Windex liberally, the toxin was gone, no worries – hardly any bites the next day.
2. #~ Deodorant
This is great in an emergency. I discovered deodorant on a trip to Sumatra, Indonesia. It seems to have some power to neutralise the bites, but mainly it stops the itch by sealing the bite from exposure to the air
3. #Vinegar
Aah the wonders of vinegar – not only is it a powerful mould killer, cleaner, neutraliser of jelly fish poison and fabric softener but vinegar is an excellent neutraliser of biting insect toxins. It is great for mozzies, sandflies, March flies- the March fly bites will sting for a second as they actually give you a little cut, but it is worth it if you react badly (my bites last for days).
4. #Wine
Yes, good old wine. On my first night in Kuranda near Cairns, on the way to a house sit I was staying at a nice Bali style resort. Sitting at the poolside restaurant I was spiked by a hairy caterpillar; it was tiny, just about 15mm long I flicked it away but immediately came up in big red, extremely itchy welts where ever it had landed on me. I asked the waiter if they had anything to put on it or knew what to do. His eyes went wide and he hurried off to see what he could find, never to return. My instinct was to grab for the vinegar but since I didn’t think they would appreciate me breaking into the kitchen I just dipped my finger into the wine, and spread it over the welts. It worked a treat! The marks were gone the next day. Later I heard from the locals that these hairy caterpillars left little spikes in you that itched for weeks, so I counted myself very lucky that I had neutralised the toxin before it got a chance to take hold.
5. *Clothing
This shouldn’t be little known – not much is going to bite through clothing, though they will go under and around. Your average weight material will protect you from mozzies, but even thin material will protect you from sandflies and less vicious mozzies while having the added bonus of reducing sunburn. I like that light indian cotton such as the kurta shirt for coolness and some protection, particularly at dawn and dusk. I am no scientist but I don’t get why you would need to impregnate cloth with insect repellent when the cloth forms a physical barrier anyway, and I notice that the fine print says that you still need to use repellent on exposed bits! If it is hot you want to use insect repellent so that you can expose bits and cool off! On that vein I don’t get SPF clothing, unless your shirt is as thin as these kurta’s it will shield you from the sun anyway! Aka Slip Slop Slap!
6. *Wind – Fan
I don’t find it enough by itself but those less allergic than me are convinced that the fan over the bed is enough to keep the sandflies at bay.
7. *Baby Oil
When I arrived in the tropics the locals advised us to use baby oil, since we would be living in the open air – our houses don’t have glass on the windows, or even fly screens, this is because you need to let as much air flow through as possible, to cool you down and to stop everything from going mouldy in the went season. This does stop the sandflies by creating a physical barrier that they can’t bite through, though it only lasts an hour or so as it soaks in or is diluted by sweat, I also found that it was hard not to wipe it off, especially if I already had bites that cried out to be scratched, adding lavender or tea tree oil helped, as a repellent and to sooth the existing bites. Though I did feel pretty yuk covered in oil.
8. *Avon Skin-so-soft
If you do a search on the web for sandfly or midge repellents you will come up with Avon Skin-so-soft, I haven’t tried it but have read many glowing reviews, stories of use by UK Special Forces. It seems it works on the same principle as baby oil, providing an oily coating to the skin that the sandfly or midge urine does not penetrate. I also read scientific studies that showed that it was less effective than most other products, and a comment on an expat forum commenting that the midges over here were a completely different entity to those that our British counterparts were dealing with.
9. #~Calamine
Well, when I was a kid it was not ‘little known’ it was ‘the thing to use’ everybody had Calamine in the cupboard. It is still amazingly effective stuff, even if a bit embarrassing to go out in public showing off white/pink blobs that yell – Hey! I am new in town! Still if I am staying in, I love the stuff, dab it on thickly to form a seal, this is what gave me the idea for the deodorant in Sumatra. I don’t think it neutralises the toxin as well as some of the others though.
10. *#~Tea tree oil
Great for neutralising the toxin, soothing the bites, and gives some protection as a repellent. The thing about sandflies is that you have to have repellent on every inch, they are not deterred by just the smell of it as mozzies are. It is great for mould as well. Locals at Kuranda, the mould capital, say that bleach doesn’t kill off the spores but Tea Tree, Vinegar and Clove oil do, they are kinder to fabric too.
11. *#~Lavender
We had a gig house-sitting a lavender farm in Queensland with a horse and 2 chooks. They put us onto lavender oil for bites. We didn’t have to worry about sandflies but lavender oil is great for neutralising and soothing mozzie bites. Here in the tropics I did try it with the baby oil and found it gave it a boost as a repellent and soothed my bites as well. Lavender is a hardy plant that you can grow around your home to keep the blighters at bay.
12. #Take a shower
This works for sandflies, as the toxin is in the urine they leave on your skin you can wash it off. I find if I feel some bites before I have put repellent on, if I have a shower as soon as I can it reduces the number and severity of the bites.
Since arriving in the tropics and trying so many different products, including the mainstream insecticides we have found what we were looking for!
13. #~Rainforest rejuvenation
If you have been bitten, this product is amazing at neutralising the toxin and relieving the itch – it is a combination of natural rainforest oils and sea salt made in Kuranda, near Cairns Qld.
14. *#~Mosi-guard – Lemon Eucalyptus
Now this is the most amazing product; when I lived the easy life in southern NSW and Canberra natural insect repellants were my preferred option, they worked fine for me. But once I left the safety of civilised society and took off to explore wild and wonderful horizons, the insects just got desperately persistent they were not to be deterred! At one of our first stops the insects were so persistent that even with commercial tropical strength repellant dabbed on my face and surface spray on my hat they hovered just inches away waiting for any chance.
We found Mosi Guard on the net, we had trouble finding a retailer, we did find one that had a couple they had forgotten about and bought a couple to try, we were amazed. It was everything the manufacturers website said it was. It was at least as effective than the DEET products at repelling the biting insects, but at the same time it soothed the bites and neutralised the toxins! So unlike the mainstream insect repellents you don’t rub it off scratching at your bites, even if you do rub or scratch or sweat it doesn’t just sit on the surface of your skin so it isn’t such a drama, and it is so nice to use on your skin, it smells lovely and fresh – of lemon eucalyptus, not chemicals and perfumes. So we bought a box of 12.
Our neighbours came to call, they have lived in this area for years, we gave them some Mosi Guard to try and were amazed as well, they came back the next day to buy some off us.
The same story with another set of neighbours.
So we decided to start selling it ourselves, we had been looking for products to sell online that are useful to people travelling in remote places as we do.
Insect bite remedies work in 3 different ways,
* They stop the insect biting – apply before you are likely to be bitten
# They neutralise the toxin – apply immediately you have been bitten
~ They relieve the itch – apply after the bites have developed
Nice information, thanks
Scrub all affected areas with water as hot as you can stand with lots of soap on a sponge. One with the scotch brite on one side is best. Do it as soon as possible after noticing the bites for best effect. Easy, cheap, effective and almost always available.
That actually makes a whole lot of sense!
I found a shower at normal temperature soaping up well a couple of times helped a lot, if I got there soon enough – it washed away the toxins.
That’s if I got caught out – not putting MosiGuard early enough
Try dettol. It helps aswell but apply every hour. Can be diluted
Thanks – good to know.
detol must be diluted .applying it straight too skin burns the skin
Dettol is highly toxic. Do not put anything on your skin that would kill you or make you sick if you ate it! Skin absorbs toxins just as if you had eaten it, not in the same quantity, but the same manner.
If you are using eucalyptus oil, just buy some at a pharmacy or outlet that sells essential oils and put it in some body lotion, you can get lemon oil too and mix your own product.
If you use a lotion that has paraben or petroleum bases in it, it will sit on the surface of the skin because the petroleum creates a barrier that will not let an essential oil (actually not “oils” even though called that) penetrate the skin.
If you want to receive the benefits of healing properties of essential oils, buy a lotion that has natural ingredients with no parabens or petroleum products in it.
Lavender, lemon and eucalyptus have great benefits to the body in general when absorbed through the skin. Read up on aromatherapy…it it about healing thru absorbtion, not just smell as the name would seem to suggest.
Dettol and any anti bacterial lotion are to be used diluted.
The alleged ‘toxins’ absorbed by the body is not true.
Midge/sand flys DO bite you. the female fly is a blood sucking insect.
Reactions are caused by the micrscopic opening and the fly saliva injected into the bite area.
Cold compresses, topical remedies and soothing creams will all assist.
The bites will stop being itchy after a few days.
Large reactions, small children or an extreme amount of bites – SEE your GP!
I moved to a sandfly area around 2 years ago and was being bitten constantly. I find that if I apply unrefined organic coconut oil to my skin before I go into a sandfly area I very rarely get a bite. When I do get bitten I apply diluted Dettol twice a day and it works a treat. I am allergic to most biting insects.
How much coconut oil should I apply? Should i get all greased up or just a light coating enough? 🙂
yep¬ I live in a mangrove area, the sandflies/midgies are ferocious and coconut oil is the best repeelant on the body
When I get bitten, they last for 2 weeks, and sometimes they came up in blisters or even weeping hard areas of skin.
I have tried most of the suggestions on this page. When I am in a sandfly infested area I just use MosiGuard as soon as I get up in the morning and about 3:30 in the afternoon.
Coconut oil, baby oil or any oil will work for a short time, until your skin absorbs it or it rubs off. It creates a barrier. MosiGuard also creates a barrier but it lasts 4-8 hours depending on how much you are sweating.
this happens to me too and the blisters burst and I get secondary infection. the itching is insane and I have to wear cotton gloves to bed so I don’t claw my skin off in my sleep. Zirtec allergy tablets from the chemist are amazing. stopped the itching in 10 minutes. what a freakn relief.
Believe it or not benzoyle peroxide works! My daughter had sandfly bites all over her back and arsm and ive tried everything and nothing works. After a week i decided to try bp and after applying.. an hour later.. it started to shrink and the itch stopped.. it completely dried it out and must have dried out the toxin from the bite or urine of sandflies… hope this helps…
Thank you for your advise it is much appreciative coming from Fiji isles I too believe in natural stuff without additive of any chemical so thank you I do hope others will follow your remedy Nariman T
I was bitten by march flys a week ago and although the bites have reduced, I am left purple scars everywhere. I have a dozen new bites and I was wondering, does any one know what you can regarding the scars that are left behind?
Hi Jaja
Put on Rosehip oil. It is amazing. I put Rosehip oil after I have a shower. Keep applying, you will notice the difference.
Nicole
Thanks for that Nicole – I just looked it up and apparently it’s good for eczema too (both my daughter and I suffer from that). I’ll buy some and see what it’s like for mossie and sandfly bites. Any recommendations for brands to buy?
Nicole, just some helpful info. A lack of essential fatty acids in your.diet may cause eczema. Just some suggestions you might think about. Avocados, flaxseed oil, flaxseed meal, coconut oil, avocado oil, omega 3 and extra virgin olive oil. Look it up.. Use internal and topical. You will be surprised.
I have 40 sandfly bites at the moment. I was swimming and showering and applying deterrant. Water did not work. Calamine and wine nor vinegar. You must put antiseptic on these bites as they can turn nasty. Tiger balm also did not work. The avon skin so softly is not useful anymore may e they changed the formula.
Spray plastic has helped stopping the bites grom festering and weeping.
Even anti histamine tableys are not working against tbe itching.
Also I live in the tropics and find that mosquitos do sting through clothing especially around the thighs when I am sitting.
Coletie, have you tried meat tenderizer and water in a spray bottle . Spray on bites and let dry.
Although we use Mosiguard – which is excellent, sometimes we still get bitten. I use Lucas Papaw Ointment when I do get bitten and the sores are open. If the sores are closed ie skin not broken I use Rainforest Rejuvenation, but this has salt in it so stings on open cuts.
We find that anti-histamines do help but they take a few days to work.
Rub or spray a repellent on your clothes – that sometimes helps.
Unfortunately sometimes the mossies are just going to beat you, whatever you do!
We have found vinegar does stop the itch from sandflies but you do have to wet the bite area thoroughly and not just dab with cottonwool. You also need to reapply now and then. We will be going to live in a sandfly area so are doing loads of research as we itch for days and would prefer to not use antihistamines if we can.
Jan, when I had the shingles, I was desperate to find something to stop the burning stinging itching and welts over left side of my body , from my head to my waist. I ended up using Bragg organic apple cider vinegar and cotton balls. My husband soaked the cotton balls in the BACV and taped them on all my blisters for four days after my morning shower and my evening shower . Gone in five days. I,very talked with people who still have shingles for years. This may work for your bites.
I too had a bout of shingles and I diluted vitamin c powder in warm water added Vitamin D oil capsule and a little coconut oil then sprayed it on. Supplementing with these vitamins will also help reduce the discomfort as will UV/sun rays. I used this spray 3X a day and kept the discomfort at bay and blisters cleared in 2- 3 days. Information from Natures Pharmacy by Pamela Duff – download from Greenmedinfo.
I have found that extremely hot water on the patch of midge bites ( or sandflies) is very effective. You need to run the water at an almost unbearable temperature for a few minutes. It not only washes the toxins away but kills any toxins that have already entered the skin.
I have found the hottest water the best thing to stop the itching.
I also use a cheap moisturiser (1/2 ltr bottle) to which I add 1/2 bottle of citronella oil & mix thoroughly. Rub on to avoid bites!
I tried Citronella and found it helps but not as effective as MosiGuard. You need something stronger for tropical beasts. Mosiguard is not just Lemon Eucalyptus. They have isolated the active ingredients and called it Citrodiol
John, you are so correct and the most helpful comment so far.
However I must add that I find a good lather of soap along with the hot water adds to the effectiveness. I use one of those sponges that have the scotch brite glued to one side. It is a bit aggressive, especially if new, but helps enormously as well. As you say you have to remove the toxins as well as possible, and hot water, soap and a sponge is the most effective method I’ve found. I’ve lived in a heavily sandfly infested area for 68 years and have been bitten so many times.
There is a lot of info on the net re how to avoid sandflies but not much good info re what to do after.
I spend a lot of time fishing around rivers in my trailer sailer and often get bitten. It’s such a relief to get back to the boat, boil the kettle and wash them off as above. Oh the relief, and so easy and cheap.
When I worked in Africa I gave up taking antimalarials and did what the South African ex military guys did – just don’t get bitten! They made their own repellant using a tub of barrier cream, and mixed in a small amount of citronella oil.
Thanks….Windex!
The hot water works for me. Thank you, John Wiltshire!
Agree !!!!!!
That’s meant to be agree to windex, almost instant, bit worried about the toxins, but hey,crazy itch is gone !
no they don’t work i think you work from the office
Been in Brisbane for 4 months, went fishing 2 days ago, and I am not joking I have about 200 sandfly bites. I went to hospital this morning as I am in excruciating itchy agony! They gave me a cortisone injection, advantan ointment, and anti-histamine. I have also got Calamine. I am still really really itchy. The bites are weeping and blistering. Is there anything I can put on them once they are in blister/weeping stage? To reduce the itch? I think repellent is a bit too late 🙁
Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I am suffering immensely. I don’t want to irritate the open bites any more but I really need this itching to stop
Dear Stacey guess its too late now, but the hot shower works. But might depend on your skin, i can bear really really hot as my skin is thick, had 50 bites, the itching was gone after two times hot shower as hot as you can do. It s the best advice out there. Initially it gives extra pain with the hot water but it still feels good right away. It also makes sense as the injected protein might get deactivated.
It cant be used if you have sunburn on top of it though, as the hot water would be extremely painful and probably damage the skin further. Maybe the hot spoon …
A bit late now but there’s product out there called Itch-eze plus cream. Works wonders on mozzie bites and it’s not to bad on sandfly bites, only available in Queensland.
Yes – that is a great product – I use it if I do get bitten and the itch is unbearable – the manufacturer does say to use it sparingly, and it is available on-line here http://itchezeplus.com.au/
I arrived in the Top End/Gulf/Kimberley region as a fresh faced Girl in 1996. I got absolutely hammered by sand flies and ended up in hospital, same deal-cortisone, antihestimines, creams etc. my body is used to it now after 18yrs up here but I still spray, cover up and avoid especially at low tides and full moons!! Ps pee on them, it does work!!
Having experienced the most horrendous reaction to sandfly bites in Northern Western Australia, I tried everything that anyone suggested. At last after months of agony and scarring, someone suggested onion juice. By this time, I didn’t care what I smelled like, so I cut an onion and rubbed on the juice. Instant and permanent relief! Still going to give those mangrove areas a big miss though.
Did the onion juice get rid of the scars as well???? I haven’t done anything on my skin after I’ve got bitten by the sandflies (Coz I have no idea what I should do), and now my legs,thighs & arms are covered in scars (Sooooooooooooooooooo UGLY!) Am still soooooooo itchy! Please tell me the onion juice stops the itchiness & get rid of the scars??
I’m still covered in scars from my camping adventure at bribie island was 2 yrs ago and nothing has worked to get rid of them. Now there back and as hard as it is dont scratch them i welt up massively. I’m going to give the onion a go sew if that helps my itching. I smothered myself in antibacterial hand sanitizer it stung but relieved the itching for a few hours
Fenistil gel; that’s what its called in Switzerland anyway .. active ingredient is dimetindene but the one I have also has chloride benzalko .
Hi Stacey, it amazes me that nobody has mentioned Aloe Vera! Just apply Gel, avoid scratching few minutes till dries, redness, irritation and itchiness … gone! Grow your own plant and break off piece when required if you run out! Also great on Sun Burn and as Face mask as well as general skin irrational.
Hi Stacey, Friend just told me about putting a hot spoon ,hot as u can bear it without getting third degree burns
In reply ro Seamus…Midges/sandflies must take a blood meal for their eggs to mature. They do not, as is sometimes believed, urinate
on people to cause discomfort. In the process of biting and sucking blood, they inject a salivary
secretion that produces a skin reaction of varying intensity, depending on an individual’s reaction.
http://www.education.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0014/3713/BitingMidge.pdf
BITING MIDGES OR “SANDFLIES” IN THE NT
PETER WHELAN
SENIOR MEDICAL ENTOMOLOGIST
DARWIN
NORTHERN TERRITORY
AUSTRALIA
July 2003
The Northern Territory Disease Control Bulletin Vol 10, No. 3, September 2003
Thanks Eileen – interesting information.
I have about 200 ‘sandfly’ bites on me as well from just several days ago. Enjoyed 3 beautiful days at Mission Point – Bribie Island, but haven’t enjoyed the ‘itching’ afterwards. Didn’t even know we were getting bitten. Looks as though I have chicken pox. I’ve been having the hot showers which works and a friend put me onto ‘Pinetarsol’. You get it in a Chemist – it’s a yellow liquid that you rub onto the affected areas (mine’s all over my body) during showering. Turn shower off and rub it all over, leave for a few minutes, then shower it off and pat yourself dry. You can use it in a bath as well. Vinegar works a treat also. ‘Stop Itch Plus’ has given me some relief also – put cream on individual itchy areas, good when your out and about. as it’s easy to apply. Good luck from a fellow ‘sandfly sufferer’.
Hi Pam,
I only have about 100 bites on me varying in sizes and heads. I was BBQing up Port Mac, enjoying the sunset and it wasn’t until I was in bed the scratching started, I even have them on my forehead. I scratched all the way back to Sydney then smeared Pinetarsol over the bites and felt immediate relief!
Be warned though all users there is a price to pay for the relief, you WILL smell like an old ashtray.
I have been living in tropical north QLD for over 6 weeks and everytime I try to enjoy fishing with my partner I get attacked by midgees. With or without repellent ie bushmans bla bla. I have tried everything to help relieve them afterwards, only thing that works is 2 antihistamines a day. I think your only supposed to have one, but it only lasts half the day!
It’s either no fishing in the lakes or buy myself a bee sting suit
HI Marissa,
Once you get bitten it can be horrible, but I’d really recommend Itch-eze plus cream which you can get in some chemists, and on-line http://itchezeplus.com.au/.
Also our product Mosiguard does work amazingly well. We live in an open house at the top of Cape York, right next door to a mangrove swamp.
We use Mosiguard twice a day and it definitely does keep the sandflies away.
THANKYOU all for your experience and advice .Glad to know (now) around full moon is worse for sandflies . Just been very badly bitten especially under arms and bum where I must have missed spraying. The bites have spread out to join in some areas. This is the most terrible itch I have ever had ! A cream by ‘ Natralia nourish Naturals’ for eczema & psoriasis, is soothing but I will try the hot showers as well. The full bee keepers suit sounds like a good idea, sadly !
Hi Mel, if you’ve been bitten heaps it’s worth taking some anti-histamines for a week or so. They usually stop the bites sort of spreading out and the itching. The anti-histamines usually will work in a couple of days.
Thanks Seamus, now 3rd day of taking ‘FexoTabs’,1 per day – supposed to be fast acting but just slight relief really. Is there a better one (non drowsy) ? I don’t like taking anti -histamines much, but anything to get rid of this reaction, & get back to work.
Have suffered greatly since living in Cairns. Eventually taking Fexo tabs too as non drowsy . I also take Polaramine at night as side effect of drowsiness gives me a good sleep without ripping my skin off. Also wrap flexible gel ice pack over area bliss.
If you are already suffering from bites, the best remedy to reduce pain I found is to apply either cold (eg, a piece of ice in a plastic bag) – hot water as hot as you can endure and I found the most effective itch “ease” is hot air from a hair dryer. As hot as possible…
The heat neutralizes the nerve endings in the affected area, but also speeds up the dispersal of the histamins, that are trying to fight off the proteins left there by the attacking insect.
I visited Gunn Point Beach in The Northern Territory, I took precautions using a natural spray for my body but the Midgees attacked my head! Through my hair I now have this incredible itching going on now for over two weeks. I didn’t think for a minute that they could penetrate a thick hear of hair. Be warned, they do!!!
Heat white vinegar in microwave as hot as you can stand it, I use tweezers and half a cotton ball and hold it on the bites for a few seconds , it must be very hot.
Just an idea. What about oral-gel on a q-tip and apply to bite
Hi guys, I have found that it’s back to basics for this one, I use a fresh quarter of lemon juice in my water which is very good for you, then wipe that same quarter of lemon over the bites allow to dry on the skin, and apply as necessary.
Now get back to enjoying yourself.
Scott
Please help[… I went and enjoyed a afternoon on the beach with my family came home and 5 days later i found i had about 15 bites on my butt i was told they are sund fly bites…. they hurt, itch and swollen to the point i can barely sit… please help i cant stand it any longer.. i have tried cortizone lotion, perozide, vinegar, and its been 2 weeks,, i cant do it any longer!!!
Hand sanitiser is real good too. Works for me.
My sister was bitten by a white tail spider, the remedy that worked for her was her own urine, not sure how often it was used but it worked in neutralising the poison, I think why not for sand fly bites, I have just a few on me and will give it a try.
My sister was bitten by white tail spider, the remedy that neutralised the poison was her own urine. I thought I would give it a try if the tea tree oil doesn’t work on my sand fly bites, I have not scratched them yet. You own urine is supposed to work for all sorts of problems. Worth a try.
Midges must take a blood meal for their eggs to mature. They do not, as is sometimes believed, urinate on people to cause discomfort. In the process of biting and sucking blood, they inject a salivary secretion that produces a skin reaction of varying intensity, depending on an individual’s reaction. Bites usually produce a classic allergic response, with the first bite producing no noticeable effect, and the subsequent bites producing the reactions. If the exposure to midges is reasonably continuous, a process of desensitization may follow. People continuously exposed are usually tolerant to the bites, and generally have no reaction or show a mild reaction with a small red spot.
I had a week in Port Douglas Sept 27 to Oct 4th. I got hammered by sandflies that you can hardly see all over my arms legs and neck. They even got through the flyscreen doors. I have come home to NZ and I am so itchy and every bite bleeds due to me itching them. I have taken anithistamines but I still itch like crazy. I need to know what to put on the bites to relieve the itching and to stop me picking them and making them bleed. I am sure I will have scars. My torso is really hot all the time too. Any ideas will be appreciated.
If you can stand the initial stinging, Metho is the best that I have found so far, I apply it on a cloth after a really hot shower…
I too am affected by sandfly bites. I found the most soothing relief comes from aloe vera gel, straight from the plant.
After spending many years living and visiting Cape Tribulation I recently spent 4 days up there for xmas, xmas night, fullmoon, I was eaten alive by sandflies. The following night I still ventured out, as I always did, but I sprayed, this time the rest of my body was eaten alive. I have been on anthistamines now for 3 days, can not sleep at night for the itching, I look like I have measles, lucky for me my work attire is long pants and a shirt, however I have a wedding tonorrow and am frantically trying to find something to cover me head to toe which will be fun in cairns summer. My main concern is the scarring! I have so many bites that they are almost grouped together all over my legs, shoulders, chest, arms and torso. This surprises me as I said Im a local and I have not experienced this since I was a kid.
Maybe I should head to my Gp after work tonight???? And buy more bio oil….
I was bit the last night I was in the Caribbean for a NYEs trip this year. I called from the resort to make an appointment with my GP but after my plane get in at 11pm, my brother took one look at my bites and took me to the ER. I was given a very strong dose of antihistamine tablets, which did not help a lot but they make you tired so I was able to sleep that night and a prescription does of hydrocortisone. that did not help at all. I saw my GP the next morning. Thank god, she knew exactly what sand flys are and the misery that I was in from the itching. She has put me on oral steroids. About an hour after taking the first does, the itching did not subside completely but was definitely reduced. She also suggested non-drowsy Claritin in the morning as it is stronger than benedryl and then benedryl at night to help with the sleep. Also wear mittens at night to make sure you do not scratch the bites as that just makes them itch more. For topical treatment she suggested tea tree oil and bath wash. I find the bath wash very refreshing. Additionally, she found that back in her native India, it was important to make sure you wash your towels after bathing and your bed linens every morning as when you are healing from the bites, they are releasing skin particles that you do not want back onto your skin. I consulted with a herbalist as well and zinc oxide powder, known for its natural use as a sunscreen, also reduces itching from inflammation. I am going to the chemist as soon as they open this am.
Beach camping in the northwest has left me with so many midge bites… Someone on here has suggested using a hair dryer on the affected area to subside the itch. It has defiantly worked! I have tried Stingose, detol, tea tree and antihistamine, however this has been the best! Thank you! Hold the hot air on the affected area for as long as possible. Not the most pleasant but most affective!
As a deterrent try mixing baby oil, dettol, tea tree oil and vinegar in a spray bottle. Once bitten take an extremely hot shower scrubbing the areas with a shower scourer. After the shower apply the spray as mixed above.
I have only ever found that hot water works, you have to be tough & let it burn, but tonight i used some antiseptic tea tree cream, it costs about 12 to 15 dollars & it soothes like you wouldn’t believe, & you know exactly why because if you’ve missed just one bite it will still itch! Though i can imagine that a hair dryer does work too! But im sick of being tough & burning the pain away, so im going with the antiseptic tea tree cream from now, & i also have a feeling it would help with scaring aswell! But when bitten profusely, a hot shower is the best thing!
I’ve recently started a hot water remedy for sandflies and midges. I fold a face washer twice, hold it under the hot tap and then place on the affected area for about a minute. After that I dry the area with a clean towel and dab area with either methylated spirits or vinegar. Soothes the area for several hours and allows me to get some sleep. Now that I’ve read other ideas from this page I may give them a try. But, for now, at least the above works for me.
I have 140 plus sandfly bites after spending the weekend cleaning out an old shearing shed…i thought midgies or sandflies were a coastal problem but i was hours from the coast…bites are red weeping sores…as with most others here i found antihistamines gave very mild. shortlived relief….after reading earlier comments i have ducked off to grab the eucalyptus oil and dabbed it on with cotton wool…definitely some relief there….hot shower and hairdryer treatment before attempting sleep tonight….many thanks to all for your helpful stories and treatment options.
We spent a few days at Lake Tinaroo and woke up the next day with incredibly itchy feet. We suspect it was from the Hairy Catapillars. By this stage my skin was broken. I soaked my feet in hot water & Tea Tree oil which gave a little relief. I then doused my feet with vinegar. As the skin was broken I nearly hit the roof but it worked!! The itch was gone. I have since been applying Renu 28 which is an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacteria, keeps it all clean & prevents scaring amongst other amazing, wonderful things. http://www.renu28byasea.com.au
I’ve been living in Aus for 9 years and yesterday I sat in a park by the Brissy river for about 15 minutes, on a large towel, until I had to leave because I felt slightly annoyed about the little buggers (not knowing what they had in store, they look innocent enough). I came home and noted roughly 35-45 little bites, mostly on my legs, when I got home. I didn’t think much of it at first and thought I should take an aussie teaspoon of cement and move on. Today these things swelled up to about 2-4 times the normal size of mozzie bites. I’ve never been so itchy in my life. I experienced a unique and consistent type of itchy agony (considered cutting the bites off with a knife… I definitely woulda chickened out first though).
I tried everything I could in this guide and it helped by about 60-85% – which is a miracle at this point. Especially the burning hot shower. I soaked my legs in vinegar (malt was all I had and hey it was finger lickin good..) and then scrubbed with soap (the only way to really scratch while telling yourself its okay). Got out of the shower and liberally applied bio-oil and then recklessly sprayed with glen 20 (unhealthy I’m sure, but **** it… **** those bites! Take that grrrr!!).
But yea, I’ll definitely try the vit C oil tomorrow morning (best I could do was pop some multivitamins, pain killers and sleeping aid so far).
**Side note: My attitude towards spiders has greatly increased.
I have been a long time sufferer of allergic reactions to sandfly bites. I take a really hot shower in the mornings and and at night. I also liberally apply methylated spirits with a cloth. I also take a polaramine in the mornings and again at night. The metho is great as I can apply it as many times a day as I want. I have recently found that Vicks vapour rub helps to deter them, this I think is due to the camphor content. So sick of these little blood suckers, I wish I could wipe them of the face of the earth for good.
I Too have a very bad reaction too sand flys but mostly midgies. I take 1 mega vitamin b tablet 1 antihistamine table use metho on my bites wear loose clothing long sleeve shirt long pants socks hat mozzie net and I also use hand sanitiser & settlor It so hard to find relief but keep putting the stuf on cheers hope this works for all
Wow lots of great information. Sand flies love me they wont touch my husband. I will have to make up my own mixcure, hopefully it will protect me. Mornings and late afternoons are the worse but that is the best time to spend time out in the garden, watering or just gardening or going for walk as it is not to hot. I might have to cover up as well. I will try some of these helpful tips up here. Thanks
i need a spray to spray in the back yard.. does anybody know of a product I can use…
I believe the hot air or water treatment breaks down the proteins and stops the itch. But at night, my midgy/sand fly bite itching was unbearable, so I took advice I heard and used a wet facecloth with normal bar soap and washed the affected area with the soapy cloth. Then don’t rinse off the soap and let it dry naturally. It gives great relief for a couple of hours so you can get some sleep.
I live near the mangroves in Gladstone QLD, and this area is well known for sandflies (AKA midget), the first weeks that I was here it was unbearable and then this local fisherman, told me to: first do not scratch, you will get it infected with your nails, then take always a bottle of sanitiser with me (woolies brand is the cheapest!) and apply as soon as you feel the bite.
It’s been five years since then, I still get bitten at least once every day, but after using sanitiser the bite only last 10 minutes then fades away for good.
We have shared this with many of our friends and neighbors and it’s been the only way to avoid further itchiness, if you don’t want to get bitten use any oily product on your skin, from olive oil to expensive sunscreen.
We made the fishermans potion and it does work but it smells awful, 1 part of detol, 1part or tea tree oil and 1 part of citronella oil. it takes away mossies too. ( this is only when fishing near the mangroves).
My husband is a mad fisherman and travels all around the tropics. He uses equal parts of citronella oil, detol and a splash of methylated spirits to prevent the wax in the citronella oil from blocking the nozzle in the spray bottle. Deterrent and relieves itchiness afterwards. I tell him he stinks and he says fishing is a solitary sport anyway. Agree with Juanos.
Best remedy for sandfly bites is to TOTALLY resist scratching .. at all! Bite sting goes away very soon. It’s difficult but you must NOT scratch.
Touching the area(s) at all including washing and applying anything to the bite area .. well then you have touched the affected area; the same as scratching the site. Resist. B strong. Resist…
Came back from Port Douglas last week with 26 Midge bites of which 10 were severe. We were only there 3 days and I didn’t put on any repellant. End of day 1 and the first bites started to appear and itch. Next day I put on Aerogard which had no effect on repelling midges and got bitten again. That night tried Bushman and again got bitten. Flew home next day in agony. I read all the feedback above and tossed up between Windex and White Vinegar. White vinegar won out and did the first application and couldn’t believe how effective it was. Morning and night liberally applied with cotton wool, and after every application noticed a 50% improvement. Also no horrible red blotches after a few days. Itching stopped within 1 hour of each vinegar application. 1 week later almost all gone and no itching. I now have some MosiGuard and we go back to Port next week….will try this out and let you know.
Thank you Molly – good luck in Port Douglas!
The hottest water possible on the bite area for a few minutes (tough it out), then douse liberally in witch hazel and allow to air dry. Itching GONE. it will sting for a moment though.
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The reason hot water works so well for the treatment of existing bites is because the toxin injected into the skin from the insect is actually a protein. Proteins are not tolerant to heat and thus break down rather quickly when heat is applied. It’s a misconception that the water washes away any toxins because the toxins are injected beneath the epidermis. You can boil some water and pour into a cup and dip a spoon in the water and apply to the bite for instant relief. When camping make yourself a coffee in a tin cup and rest your cup on the affected area for another instant relief remedy. Of course these methods won’t actually prevent you from being bitten initially.
Got absolutely savaged in 2015 driving around the Kimberling camping.
Station hand at Pardoo station told me of an old aboriginal way to treat bad itches/bites.
Simply cut an onion in half and rub on affected area.
Believe me the smell of onions goes after about 5 minutes along with any discomfort.
Bites cleared up in about four days. (60 bites).
My wife has severe reactions to midge/sand-fly bites. I thought I would write a comment since we have found a remedy for severe reactions to sand-fly bites through many trials and errors.
She is immune compromised so the reactions are understandable, but still not pleasant. The bites start off as a bit of an itch and with a small inconspicuous pock-mark dot at the point of entry. A little discoloration and redness and a bit raised. However, the following day or even a few hours later (depending on her immune status), the bite becomes blistered. Sometimes quite large (up to 3-4cm across) and tight filled with plasma. Quite an over reaction.
The blister can stay like that for days but usually ruptures due to the pressure or damage from a bump or contact of the blister with something. The seeping of sticky yellowish plasma can continue for several days depending, but it eventually stops and a flat popped blister is what remains. It is important at the rupture stage that the blister is treated with antiseptic to avoid infection. Especially if the blister has been compromised and significantly busted open exposing the red lower epidermal layers.
I use diluted Dettol to flush the wound and surrounds and to clean. I then dab tea-tree oil from a cotton swab directly on the wound and immediately paste on activated manuka honey over the wound with a spatula. I wouldn’t use undiluted tea-tree oil on the opened wound if I wasn’t putting the manuka honey directly on top as its too strong by itself. However, I found that tea-tree oil is a strong natural antisceptic which is required in my wife’s condition to make sure the wound doesn’t get infected. The wound is then covered with a cotton make up remover pad (smeared with extra tea-tree oil and manuka honey) and secured with medical tape or a bandage depending on the size of the bite.
Sometimes the blister can get quite large and other times it remains small doesn’t blister and disappears.
We have tried many different repellents and bite remedies but believe this one is the best so far. The great thing about the activated Manuka and honey in general is its great wound healing properties. Some of the earlier wounds treated and healed have left scars, but using the manuka honey and tea-tree oil mix for wound healing the wounds heal to a scar-less slight discoloration, which disappear with some mild sunlight exposure later on.
Note it is important to use ‘activated’ Manuka, the higher the rating the better. Plain honey is also fine but wont provide the potent antiseptic properties that the activated manuka does. This is reflected in the pricing.
Hope this helps somebody.
Wow what a topic How to treat sand fly bites. went fishing with wife and she never got a bite and i got her share on mainly hands as rest was covered. Anyway as you all know Bloody painful . I used a spray bottle of a so called remedy for the bites but nah. Got home washed my hands in hot water for a few minutes and washed again with vinegar and then got into my essential oils of Lavender– Peppermint –lemongrass- Tea tree oil–Eucalyptus oil 10 drops in a small sprat bottle maybe 30/50 ml bottle and 10 drops also of Menthol for cooling effect topped up with filtered water and shook it up and then sprayed on both hands and rubbed it in and felt relief almost straight away not completely gone but really effective and each time i used it decreases after each use all natural and and will spray this on now before [ go out fishing as all ingredients are BIG deterrents and repelants against Sandflies
Moved to Cairns, the discovered I am allergic to sandflies. I’ve tried everything, well except mozzi guard, I’ll give that a try. In terms of the itch. I used topical lignocaine, sold as Emla or Nummit. We use in in hospitals for localised anaethesia when inserting canulas for some patients, mainly children. I had so many bites on one day in the back garden, my legs looked like they’d been through a meat grinder – and felt like it. I applied the lignocaine (about $30 for a large tube, OOT at the chemist, just ask ) just dabbed liberally over each bite then wrapped my legs in plastic bags…Gladwrap works better but I don’t buy it. Almost instant relief. I have a tube in my handbag and just dab a bit of the bite, rub it in a little and relax. just sharing my experience.