Sandflies
 

Previously on trips where there is a mosquito risk we have successfully kept them at bay with the leather repellent wristbands you get on amazon.
Just wondering if anyone else has experience of these and whether they are also effective against the dreaded sandfly.
And as a general question, how bad are the sandflies in march, really??

Can't tell you how bad the sandflies will be in March without knowing here will you be going.

Ah yes, the NZ sandfly....

I'm not familiar with the leather wristbands, so can't help there.

I have, however, encountered sandflies in NZ more times than I care to remember, I've experienced them year round, although they seem to be less active and slower in the cooler months.

I dislike using insect repellent, and prefer to wear long pants, long socks, and keep my arms covered. On the rare occasions I've used repellent, it has contained DEET and has worked well.

Sandflies are are South Island thing, and most often found along the entire West Coast. They tend to be particularly thick around Milford Sound, but aren't a problem once you're on a boat.

You'll also find them around Abel Tasman and I've encountered them in Mount Cook and Queenstown, although not nearly as bad as along the West Coast, where they can be downright awful.

IME they're attracted to dark colors. They're slow, so your best defense is to keep moving, which is easy enough to do if you're hiking, less so it you've stopped to have a picnic en route.

Also IME, they're worse on overcast days, they don't seem to be out and about as much when the sun is shining. For some reason, they like my husband better than me, and I'm good with that.

Just be aware that they are there, and be prepared with more than one defense mechanism (just in case the wrist bands don't work).

And most of all, have a wonderful time in NZ!

When I saw this question, I immediately thought of Mel as best suited to answer!

I’m a “mozzie magnet” and, as Melnq8 says, the only thing that works for me is Rid, or Bushmen’s, which have a decent % of deet. I’ve tried myriad “natural repellents”, as that is what I would prefer - but none of them worked for me.