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Story: Sandflies and mosquitoes

Ngaio leaves

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Ngaio leaves

Māori used crushed leaves of the ngaio tree to deter mosquitoes and sandflies. The juice from the leaves was applied to bites to relieve the itchiness.

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by Flora Wassilieff

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How to cite this page

Carl Walrond, Sandflies and mosquitoes – Dealing with bites, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/14750/ngaio-leaves (accessed 10 June 2026).

Story by Carl Walrond, published 1 March 2009.