Sandfly bites

[nippa&pippa]

I have been known to react to insect bites very badly since baby. Last april in NZ, i had several sandfly bites which end up need antibotics. Yesterday while enroute from nelson to christchurch, at spring junctions, i didn't know there was sandflies in the areas till got several bites on my foot and ankles badly again ...very very very itch and painful .
Any advice how to deal it to prevent need of antibotics again?
Thanks

[katandbob]

Have you tried Stingose? I saw it in Countdown (work has it for the gardeners) and I used it when my bites were driving me crazy.

I tend to swell, itch bad, and I get bit quite regularly (I spray myself with insect repelant when ever I go out in the paddocks, I think prevention is the key.

Hope you don't swell, but I think if you get bit by one that carries a virus thats when they go real bad, I had one (used a match and cautorised it!)

Rob on the other hand gets bit just as much but they tend to have disapeared by morning (he must have a good immune system?)

hope you dont need antibiotics this time

Kat

[Carol]

Pure Essential Lavender Oil - applied straight onto the bite - for treatment. Or an ointment with lavender oil in it.

And a bottle of Vitamin B (all of them if poss!) to take one per day - for prevention. Along with Insect repellant spray on favourite bite points : done every morning when you put on your deodorant.


11 years itchy experience talking here....

[nippa&pippa]

Have you tried Stingose? I saw it in Countdown (work has it for the gardeners) and I used it when my bites were driving me crazy.

I tend to swell, itch bad, and I get bit quite regularly (I spray myself with insect repelant when ever I go out in the paddocks, I think prevention is the key.

Will look at stringose as i tend to have bad reactions to anything that add to my bites! great! But only natural remenies is ok....seem pure lavender oil will be ideal or tea tree oil? do tea tree oil work with sandfly bites?
At the moment, i am struggling to stay warm as feel very cold all day today and in fact i am wear two feece jumper on now! my husband suggested might be something do with bites? did anyone experiences this?

[Park City Partner]

If you don't want to use main stream insect repellant there are some natural versions that contain a variety of stuff. I was told that lavender oil is a natural repellant so I used Ecostore Baby Massage oil on my baby and it worked brilliantly. Granted I was pretty careful about keeping her away from them but they are pesky little sh*ts and still no bites for bubs.

[sizzlingbadger]

Tend to use Antisan cream, unfortunately not natural. My daughter suffers very badly with sand fly bites and mosi bites and this seems to be the most effective remedy to stop the itching, swelling. Her mosi bite caused a stir just before Christmas as we ended up rushing her to A & E, the local nurse thought it was a spider bite as it was red and very swollen

[R&A]

My partner swears blind he never gets attacked by sandflies and puts it down to his marmite eating habit. I think its supposed to be the vitamin B content that helps (like Carol suggested) so that might be worth trying if you dont like taking tablets. I was pretty sceptical but on our trip to NZ last summer,i got chomped and he didnt and I just cant stand the NZ marmite! I'm afraid I cant suggest anything that hasnt already been suggested because I couldnt find a way to stop the itching driving me mad. Think I'll be stocking up on lavendar oil before i move over!
Anna

[jo-and-jeff]

I react very badly to bites too, and found that Loratidine antihistamine pills (brand name Claramax, etc) seemed to really help ease the itching of sandfly bites (I was scratching the bites in my sleep until they bled). I don't know if they have an equivalent here to Benadryl cream, but if so, that might also be helpful.

Jo

[nippa&pippa]

Thanks for tips! brought lavender oil and hope did the job, couldn't wear shoes or sandle for last two days, wore flip flop instead as so swollen...Today seem to swell down, finger cross mean no antibotics. I would normally take antihistamine tablets for it but at the moment, i can't.
Out of whole family, i got bites badly and gary got few tiny ones but moan about it (men!) but both children walk away with no bites!!! even our daughter wore tiny summer dress!
I used to work at hospital and someone mentioned something do with what blood groups you belong to that you are risk of getting bites or not getting bites....will look into this for you

[Moorf]

I have to say, I hadn't had to deal with those pesky sandflies until I picnic'd with the family in Akaroa - my god, I swear I felt them bite me... and the itching afterwards... awwwful.

I'm a walking buffet for the little bleeders... I'm blood group B- and I've heard (could be urban myth!) that they do like a nice negative blood group!

Was told alcohol in the blood also attracts them (thins it? I dunno!) so I'm very, very vulnerable