Cairns Travel Forum

Is there a particular insect repellent to use in Australia to discourage misquitos and sandflies?

Aeroguard is the most popular.

are there sandflies?

Are there sandflies? Have a look here: http://www.faunanet.gov.au/wos/factfile.cfm?Fact_ID=187

The best one that I have found is Bushman's Tropical Spray.( Green Can)
You can get this at supermarkets, chemists etc.
I HATE sandflies and they LOVE me.
Snadflies aren't everywhere, but up here in Cairns area they do hang around a fair bit:)I probably have been bitten about 6 times in the last 12 months.
Don't scratch the damn bites, that is the worse thing you can do. If bitten, stick some metho on them. I find this the best to dry them up.

Have a great trip...may the sandflies leave you alone:)

Try taking Vitamin B tablets for a couple of weeks before you go. I did it once and I didn't get bitten at all. There is another remedy which recommends that you keep a fresh lavender plant near you and this will act as a deterrent. It's not always easy to carry a fresh lavender plant around with you however.

Bushman's is the BEST
don't bother with the others
buy the spray on so you can spray it on your clothes too
also get a small bottle of lavender (must be essential oil) and dab it on if you get any bites, it will help soothe it and heal any scab/scar if you have already scratched them.

Aerogard roll on,roll it on to any exposed skin especially wrists--collarbones--ankles.Baby oil works a treat for sandflies/midges because they just slip off your skin. My water aerobics trainer recommended this preventative tip and it really works.

If sitting outside --citronella oil/candle works well.

A mozzie net during the night is a good idea.

Make sure you keep covered--long sleeve shirt and pants etc.

Have fun.

Dorrise

There's an easy remedy for sandflies. Just use baby oil. They can't cling to your skin and slide off.

I must try the baby oil suggestion. Hadn't heard of this one. Sandflies can't stick, but if you are playing on the beach the sand will:)

Rid is the most popular one here, I use it mixed 50% with water and it's still effective. Some people use a mix of baby oil and dettol. Bushmans is also considered good. Aeroguard is considered more of an attractant rather than repellent.

bushmans is good...Rid is what is recommended by the Health department for mosquitos in most states...I think Aeroguard is hopeless..I seem to get bitten more when I used that...
Its a matter of choice I suppose...but whatever you do..use something.
I contracted Ross River Fever 10 years ago...and I wouldnt wish that on anyone...
I was using Rid, but still got bitten...Took a few years to get over it completely.

I don't get eaten by mozzies so no problem there. And sandflies (midges) usually only attack the lower reagons like legs so baby oil is good....although like Anne said that can attract sand as well ;o)

There are mozzies everywhere but sandflies arn't everywhere. They don't bite you but wee on you, which is where the irritation comes from. Ad becasue they don't bite you you don't feel them or see them until its too late! they are really tiny like specks of dirt. My best remedy is, as soon as the soon starts going down, cover up as much as you can! And spray the rest with repellent.
Good luck!

If you are one of those people the insects like they'll get you whatever you do. Mozzies are worst at dusk, especially anywhere where there is water.
I react very badly to them, best remedy I've found is a cream or gel with lignocaine in it as well as antiseptic. The lignocaine is a local anaesthetic which stops the pain and itching, so you are much less likely to scratch and get them infected.
Amcal's 'Bite and Burn gel' has it, also soothes sunburn.(Amcal is a chain of chemist's here).
Same stuff in 'Soove' and other brands.

If you I get more than a few bites, I use a non-drowsy antihistamine such as Telfast, it works amazingly well.