Are biting sandflies common on Sri Lankan beaches?

Biting sandflies are usually rare on Sri Lanka’s busiest, well-kept tourist beaches, but they can turn up as a bit of a nuisance along remote shorelines, mangroves, or beside still lagoons.

You probably won’t run into sandflies (people also say “sand fleas” or midges) on the more popular coasts like Unawatuna, Mirissa, or Bentota. They do best in damp sand that is not regularly raked, especially where nearby plants and grasses offer cover. Their bites are well known for being intensely itchy, and in warm tropical humidity, they can easily lead to secondary infections. When you’re wandering through tucked-away coves or wild beaches, particularly near dawn and dusk, you should get ahead of it by using a DEET or picaridin repellent. If you do get bitten, try not to scratch, then put on a mild hydrocortisone cream right away.