Growing up in the Tropics, there are so many different things you need to worry about: mosquitoes giving you a deadly disease, poisonous snakes hiding in your bed, and crocodiles at your favourite swimming hole. The list goes on and on. The one thing that used to drive us crazy as kids was sandflies/midges. Going crabbing with Uncle Eddie was amazing until we got attacked. Of course, we were only wearing stubbies and a tight T-shirt as kids.
In my adult life as a guide and as an avid traveller to tropical locations, being insect vigilant is a necessity. I’ve seen people ruin a week by getting attacked in the first 24 hours on a fishing charter because they were just so happy to be able to wear shorts and a T-shirt.
Here are some hints and tips:
Best Practices for Avoiding Midge Bites
- Wear Protective Clothing:
- Long Pants and Shirts: Always wear long pants and a long-sleeve shirt to cover as much skin as possible.
- Tuck Your Pants: Tuck your pants into your socks to prevent midges from getting to your ankles and legs.
- Spray Around Openings: Spray the top of your pants and around your waist to deter midges from getting under your clothes. Also, spray your wrists, and around the front and back of your neck, as these are common areas for bites. If midges are particularly bad, spray your forehead as well.
- Use Insect Repellent:
- Choose a Good Repellent: Use a strong insect repellent such as Aerogard or Bushman. Apply it generously to all exposed skin.
- Target Key Areas: Pay special attention to areas where clothing ends and skin begins, like wrists, ankles, neck, and waist.
- Prepare Your Living Space:
- Spray Your Bedroom: Before going to bed, spray a good insecticide around your bedroom, especially under the bed, in dark corners, and on the windowsill. This will kill any midges that have entered when the door was open.
- Seal Entry Points: Spray repellent under the door to create a barrier that midges cannot cross.
- General Tips:
- Reduce Your Surface Area: The less exposed skin, the fewer places midges have to bite. Wearing long sleeves and pants helps minimise the surface area available for midges to attack.
- Be Careful in the Bathroom: Everyone tends to drop their guard Literally and metaphorically when they go to the bathroom, you need to be particularly careful when you go to the bathroom or have a shower. This is often where people let their guard down and can get bitten.
Tips for Treating Midge Bites
If you do get badly bitten, here are some tips to help reduce the itchiness, inflammation, and potential infection:
- Clean the Area: Wash the affected area with soap and water, using a gentle scrubbing brush to scrub the area with soap to prevent infection.
- Apply Antihistamine Cream: This can help reduce itching and swelling.
- Use Ice Packs: Applying ice packs can help reduce swelling and numb the area to alleviate itching.
- Take Oral Antihistamines: These can help control the allergic reaction and reduce itching.
- Avoid Scratching: Scratching can lead to infections and worsen the bites. Keep your nails short to minimise damage if you do scratch.
- Use Aloe Vera Gel: Aloe vera can soothe the skin and reduce inflammation.
- Apply Tea Tree Oil: This has antiseptic properties that can help prevent infection and reduce itching.
- Pawpaw Ointment: It’s messy and can stain your sheets and clothing, so typically cover it with a bandage. Used with tea tree oil, it can be the absolute best solution.
Fantastic Protection from Mosquito-Borne Viruses
These methods are also fantastic for protecting you from various mosquito-borne viruses prevalent in northern Australia, such as:
- Dengue Fever: Transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes.
- Ross River Virus: Carried by several mosquito species, including Aedes and Culex.
- Barmah Forest Virus: Similar transmission to Ross River Virus.
- Murray Valley Encephalitis: Carried by Culex mosquitoes.
If you’re wondering what is the absolute best spray. I was fishing in the Northern Territory once, and the Guide said he didn’t like putting on mosquito spray, so he was always happy when people turned up with Bushman, as two people in the boat with him was enough to protect him. I’m not sure of the science behind it, but…
