i always thought sand flies would look like below. This type of fly makes noise when it flies and it can fly realy fast. The bite is painful at early stage but itch eventually. they called it the house fly. i would kill it if it is near to me. sometimes i have these at home.
Below are how sandflies looks like. i think it looks like a fruit fly. i was bitten all over by these bugs.
and doctor prescribed H-Cort which helps to stop the itch temporary, like few hours.
Here's how the bite looks like, the itch is unbearable and with burning sensation too..
and i used this repellent Mosi-Guard and it didn't work. this repellant claimed that it works for sand flies too.
Cited from Wikipedia:
Prevention
Counter-top repellents with high concentration of DEET could work, but may not be suitable to some people, eg. people with sensitive skin and pregnant women. Some alternative repellents to DEET are [1]:
- Orange Peel
- Any Citrus Juice
- Eucalyptus oil
- Coconut oil
- Avocado oil mixed with Dettol
- Baby oil mixed with Dettol
- Chinese herbal oil
- Essential Lavender Oil
- Tea tree oil
- Listerine
- Tiger Balm
- Eucalipto
- Vicks Vapor Rub
- Vinegar
- Marmite, Promite, Vegemite - anything with high Vitamin B content
[edit] Remedies
There are a number of remedies for sandfly bites. Below are some of them [2].
Pharmaceutical remedies:
- Calamine lotion
- Ibuprofen Gel
- Hydrocortisone cream 1%
- Xylocaine gel 2%
- Antihistamine
- Avon ‘Skin So Soft’
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Tea tree oil
- Essential lavender oil
Home remedies:
- Baking soda with water
- Vinegar
- Aloe vera
- Toothpaste
- Onion