Eight tips for keeping sandflies and mosquitoes away

With the joy of summer comes the annoyance of those pesky sandflies and mozzies but you don’t have to take getting bitten lying down.

Here are eight quick tips to help keep those sandflies away, we think these tips work just as well for mosquitoes too!

1. Protect your ankles with socks or bug repellent. Sandflies tend to start their attack at the ground level and work upward.
2. Wear light coloured clothes. Sandflies are attracted to dark clothes.
3. Walk. Sandflies are very slow creatures. As long as you are moving they can't swarm.
4. Keep your car, caravan, and boat closed up or screened. Sandflies are notorious for their ability to find openings to enter and fly in wait. If you have no screens, keep downwind windows and doors closed. They prefer quiet air to wind.
5. Boats can anchor offshore a short distance to minimize the sandfly effect. A portable net can be draped over doors and hatches for a much more peaceful night.
6. Sandflies are attracted to heat. Turn off needless lights during dusk.
7. Avoid using ‘sweet’ smelling body care products. Eat less sugar.  Sandflies love sweet people.
8. Sandflies will go into a feeding frenzy just before it begins to rain. They can be your little weatherwomen (it's the females that bite), so put on your rain jacket.

If you’re heading off on holiday and want to know what you may be up against check out the sandfly map at www.goodbyesandfly.co.nz for up to date info on where the little critters are lurking. 

Copy with Thanks to Goodbye Sandfly a natural New Zealand bug repellent for sandflies and mosquitoes and is made from essential oils of Eucalyptus, Lavender, Pine, Manuka, Tea Tree and Lemongrass blended with sweet almond oil.