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The scourge of the
north west, these tiny winged insects can turn your pleasant picnic or fun
fishing trip into an absolute nightmare.
Smaller than mosquitoes, these small biting insects can be found along much of
the northern coastal areas of W.A. Unlike the mosquito, their bite may cause
severe irritation for several days and can lead to tropical ulcers if they
become infected.
It is almost impossible to avoid getting bitten but frequent applications of Rid
seem to be effective, and application of a mixture of strong cold tea and
mentholated spirits helps lessen the itching. Bushies swear by a mixture of baby
oil and Dettol to keep these little pests at bay. We have read all sorts of
remedies including raw onion, vegemite, bi carb of soda with water etc. etc. The
BEST remedy we have ever found is simple, very hot water (as hot as you can
stand it) dabbed on the bite site with a cloth. This method seems to work when
everything else has failed.
Thankfully tent manufacturers have finally realized that
ordinary fly screens just won't keep these insects out and almost all tents sold
today have very fine mesh that give protection. Unfortunately the fine mesh also
keeps out dome of the breeze but there really is no choice.
The best way to avoid sandflies is to only visit northern
areas from late May to August when they are much less active.
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