Sand Flies - how to prevent bites?

Question

Off on holiday soon and where we're going sometimes has trouble with sand flies. I've heard that if you put baby oil on your skin over your sun cream, then that can prevent them biting as they don't like the oil - has anyone tried this? I associate baby oil with the kind of silly sunbathing I used to do when I was a kid so I'm a bit reluctant to put this on and then go on the beach (even with factor 50 under it!).

Any info or tips about sand flies and bites would be gratefully received - thanks.

Answer 1

Sandflies don't like bright colors, and being small they cannot easily bite through clothes. If you are not on the beach, long sleeves white or bright clothes are suggested.

Of course you can use chemical repellents containing DEET (you can find in any supermarket/ drugstore in Indonesia too) or herbal repellents. Seems that sandflies hate the  blood of people with a nutrition containing high quantities of vitamin B. I don't know if it is true, anyway you can add this for a try. Foods rich of Vitamin B are i.e. bananas, lentils , chilli peppers (all easy to find in Indonesia), tuna fish and  beer yeast (present in vegetarian foods like "marmite" and "vegemite"). Eating these foods should make your blood, in accordance with many, less attractive for sandflies

Answer 2

You get imune to your local sandflies. That is why when you go some where else you get attacked..Just get an insect repellent.