[craig1234564]

I was reading an article on milford sound and it mentioned how bad the sandflies are,,
Where are they found in NZ?
I heard they are in Nelson too,, are they on all beaches in NZ?? do they only come out at certain times and certain seasons?
Not a great subject I know but flies are annoying yes. :roll :)

[Carol]

They are everywhere!
But mostly where you would expect to find midges in the UK.

Best to just spray before you leave the house.....cause you really suffer later in bed in you forget!

Best stuff I've ever found to alleviate bites - (and burns) is Pure essential Lavender oil. One of the few essential oils you can put straight onto skin.

[ourquest]

They live around waterways, so particularly rivers and beaches. If you are moving (ie walking or running) they won't bother you much because they are slow moving. Also wearing a light pair of long pants helps a lot because they stay low. If you need to stand still for a while, don't. Keep moving your legs will help. It's difficult to predict where you are going to find a lot of sandflies...sometimes places you expect them are free of them, and other places overun. In the latter, particularly if you are stopping your car at a beach parking, for example, you have to be very quick opening and closing your car door otherwise the car fills up with them remarkably efficiently.
As I mentioned on a recent related post, at least they don't carry any disease, be thankful for that. And don't let them spoil your enjoyment of New Zealand's spectacular landscape...a feature of the country which is given far too little emphasis on this forum.

[akp713]

On the North Island they generally don't seem to show up till spring. In Auckland I first noticed them being a problem in October. They were not just on the beaches but also seemed to be in the grass especially after a lot of rain. Some people have very bad reactions to them, while others are hardly touched. I had friends who got eaten alive at a bbq on piha for Guy Fawkes Day but they hardly touched me. They are very annoying though, much worse than mosquitos, their bites itch more and last longer as well. On the South Island I'm not sure how bad they are. I know Milford Sound was indeed the worst I'd ever seen, massive swarms everywhere, but the rest of the time on South Island in December I didn't notice them much. Also it seemed they disappeared from Auckland by Christmas, of course that's when the mosquitos showed up. Not sure how much this helps, but those are my observations.

[katandbob]

They live around waterways, so particularly rivers and beaches. If you are moving (ie walking or running) they won't bother you much because they are slow moving. Also wearing a light pair of long pants helps a lot because they stay low. If you need to stand still for a while, don't. Keep moving your legs will help. It's difficult to predict where you are going to find a lot of sandflies...sometimes places you expect them are free of them, and other places overun. In the latter, particularly if you are stopping your car at a beach parking, for example, you have to be very quick opening and closing your car door otherwise the car fills up with them remarkably efficiently.
As I mentioned on a recent related post, at least they don't carry any disease, be thankful for that. And don't let them spoil your enjoyment of New Zealand's spectacular landscape...a feature of the country which is given far too little emphasis on this forum.

they must be slower where ever you are? (no location on your cp)
They get me when I am moving too!

They tend to be around water areas - not just on the actual beaches or waterways.

they are at Te Anau, Manapouri, Queenstown (but not as bad on the quay) Bluff, Greenhills, Omaui, Catlins - Auckland, Taupo, these are th places I have been bitten, heck I think they are everywhere!

I live about 100m from an estuary, but the little %$£^^rs hide in the grass and bite my ankles when I hang the washing out, they even bite the horses, my mare gets affected badly by them and in summer if she is in the Yard, she is jiffly and has to stamp her hooves all the time. (article in NZ horse and Pony had a letter from a horse owner in Invercargill asking for advise for their horse which was being bitten and rubbing itself raw)

with the winter being colder this year, I have noticed that there are not as many yet - but its getting warmer and I am seeing them more and more.

Some DO actually get infected (I had one on my ankle- which I still have the scar its a year old)

I have found the best way of relief from the bites is to take antihistamines, and put cream on them.

the Antihistamines are taken at night, when they seem to itch more - and use the cream during the day.

Its the one bug bear of living here - we have great views, and I love sitting in my garden - BUT I get eaten alive - so I find myself not bothering!:(

I have Jungle strength insect repellant on my porch and I spray myself as I walk out the door:exit

Kat

[craig1234564]

Its the one bug bear of living here - we have great views, and I love sitting in my garden - BUT I get eaten alive - so I find myself not bothering!:(

I have Jungle strength insect repellant on my porch and I spray myself as I walk out the door:exit

Kat

This is terrible !! maybe we shouldnt emigrate after all ! :(

[Carol]

This is terrible !! maybe we shouldnt emigrate after all !



:laugh:laugh:laugh
You are joking aren't you?:exit

[StevieD]

Kat shouldn't be so tasty :laugh

[Sam B]

They ARE annoying - as are the mozzies - but on balance I'd rather have the lovely weather and fantastic views and put up with all the annoying small bitey things. They did make themselves very apparent on our trip to Abel Tasman in April, and I have to say that even though the beach was stunning, we cut our picnic short because they were driving us mad! Haven't tried insect repellent though - we're off to the S.I. after Christmas and I think i will stock up.

[craig1234564]

How do people in new zealand get a suntan if they get attacked by these things as soon as they go to the beach??

[Moorf]

How do people in new zealand get a suntan if they get attacked by these things as soon as they go to the beach??

Well, we did say the beaches weren't crowded :D now u know why! :laugh

[akp713]

They aren't always on all the beaches. It was terrible in November on Piha on the west coast of Auckland, but there wasn't a sandfly to be seen on the East Coast beaches at Takapuna and Devonport around Christmas. But then Kiwis don't usually try to get suntans anyway, not with their British heritage for fair skin and that missing ozone layer! I swear that sun seems equitorial sometimes, reminds me of my trip to the Yucatan Penninsula of Mexico.

[craig1234564]

They aren't always on all the beaches. It was terrible in November on Piha on the west coast of Auckland, but there wasn't a sandfly to be seen on the East Coast beaches at Takapuna and Devonport around Christmas.

Ok so you are saying that they are only on the west coast of New Zealand then ok thats good, hope they are not near christchurch :) and hope that the beaches near christchurch are good :)

[Familyofmonkeys]

Well, we did say the beaches weren't crowded :D now u know why! :laugh

:laugh :laugh