I was only to Africa once, and that was only for plains game in Namibia, where I could not find a single tick on any animal. But, after a lifetime of chasing black flies, mosquitoes and ticks, I need to know. Are those ticks I am always seeing on the buffalo pictures? For example on Saeed's photo, there sure looks like a lot of ticks all over the hind quarter. Seems like an odd attachment site for an animal with a long strong tail.
Are there any of you guys into ticks out there that can get me up to speed on genus and all that taxomonic stuff.
I apologize to those of you who have no interest in arthropods.
Thanks
Bfly

I looked my buff over and I couldn't find any ticks. I never saw a tick the entire time I was there.

Andy

Every critter I shot had ticks. I got none. I understand that tick bite fever comes from ticks (much?) smaller than those seen of buff and other game.

JPK

They call them pepper ticks, & yes, I got bit & got the fever (very sick for two weeks after I got home in June). Also, all our animals were infested with larger ticks that looked similar to those we have here in West Va. I hunted the Limpopo region in So. Africa. The pepper ticks are VERY small, but nasty (at least to me).

You can get tick bite fever from pretty much any tick, and it's caused by the infection from the tick vomiting intoyour bloodstream when it's incorrectly removed. If you find a live tick on you and remove it correctly, you won't get tick bite fever.

With pepper ticks, as they're so small, it's very difficult to remove them with tweezers and the best way to get rid of them without getting an infection is to substitute your normal shower gel or soap with dog anti flea and tick shampoo. Give yourself a good going over with the shampoo, make sure you don't miss anywhere,give it a few minutes to work, then rinse and repeat.

It'll also help if you're using a broad spectrum anti biotic anti malarial.

When you get home, continue using the dog shampoo for a few days just to make sure you've got rid of them all.

Although it's extremely rare, tick bite fever can very occasionally be fatal. There was a news report (also mentioned here) a while ago of a guy dying of a dose of tick bite fever. - I also know a PH who went into anaphalactic (sp?) shock and almost died from the same thing a few years ago.

Hope that helps

Hi guys. I had tik fever in 1994 in S.A Any tic may pass it over. It is also called fever from the rocky mountains or Lyme´s disease. If treated quickly with doxicicline or any tetraciclene ´t will not be a problem. If you take no care it can become a nasty disease.
About tics the most increadible one I have ever seen was in cameroon in the forest attached to an ¡elephant! it was like a cristal marble in size.

My leopard in Zambia was covered with ticks.....got me checking things out REAL well once picture taking was over.

Gary
DRSS
NRA Lifer
SCI
DSC

Dwarf,

Hope you won't mind me correcting you in that African ticks don't give you Lyme's disease.

also rocky mt spotted tick does not carry lymes either. but doxy is the correct medication. if you're taking it for malaria pro. it does 2 things at once, otherwise after about 2 days of doxy the fever is gone. ticks aren't as prevelant in areas where cattle are because of the sprays over the years (i.e. RSA) in other areas you can almost see the ground crawl with them

Permethrin.

First time I went to Zim I had pepper tick bites all over my legs.

Next time I treated all my clothes with permethrin before going and once while there. Not sure if the permethrin worked, but I didn't have any bites that trip.

Guys,

Lots of different ticks out there. First I want to clarify what is what. The "pepper" ticks that are of concern are in the genus Ambryomma African tick bite fever is a rickettsiosis, or a type of spotted feaver. If I remember it is caused by a rod shaped bacterium, it is not given to you by improper removal, because all ticks "vomit" in you when they attach. There slaiva cause your blood to flow so they can obtain a blood meal (same as mosquitos)

I have a buddy that did some African tick studies mostly on ticks in the Boophilusand Ambryomma genus. "pepper tioks" I could ask him the genus and species that are most likley to carry ATBF.

I have not done much work in Africa, but I bet some areas would be infested. I just got back from MO and they chewed me up!

Well anyway this made me feel like 6 years in college was not mis-spent.

Ed

I think Steve is right. Permethrin seems to be a big plus. I make sure socks are well treated.

Ex Officio makes Buzz Off clothing that's impregnated with it. It works great on tsetses. I had them on me, but didn't get one bite where I was protected by the Buzz Off shirt.

It's supposed to kill insects that come in contact with it. I didn't see that happen, but they didn't bite. That was good enough for me.

Also had no tick problems. I don't know if that's coincidence, but I believe in Permethrin.

We can buy a product here called Bayticol that you spray on your clothes (lasts about 4 or 6 washes or so) and that works a treat at keeping them at bay........ don't know if yiu can buy it elsewhere though.

Bayticol is a cattle dip and spray produced for the AUS cattle market (Bayer). I think it is Flumethrin, which is a 3 gen pyrethroid. Should work good, might have some skin irritation, and asthma type breathing difficulty as with some of the pyrethriod type chem.

Ed

[Andy[/quote]
[quote]I looked my buff over and I couldn't find any ticks. I never saw a tick the entire time I was there.

Reallly,
check this pic of my son's buff. I start scratching just looking at it.

"Pepper Ticks" or in America; "Seed Ticks" are the young "baby" ticks of any species. If a female lays a clutch of eggs, and she is infected with a disease, approximately 50% of her brood will also be infected, thus, you can contract the disease. I recommend one US product: Coulston's Duranon Permanone. It is usually available at Cabela's and other outdoor stores. Spray your hunting clothes only; never use on your body. Apply this outside in good ventilation and allow to dry. Put those clothes into a zip lock style travel bag. This assures you of protection if you lose the can you take in your check in luggage. I carry two cans per trip; both inside my hunting boots. This kills ticks. Other brands appear to only repel them. I also suggest taking vitamin B-1 two weeks before you leave; 400-500mg in the morning. This will allow time to get into your system. Continue this regimen during your hunt. Check with your Dr before taking any vitamin just in case it could interact with your current med's (if you take any). As Steve says, wash with tick/flea shampoo. An ounce of prevention...etc. You DO NOT want any of these diseases. Don't be a moron...protect yourself. Once home, your local Dr may not know about International disease and could mis-diagnose your symptoms.
Good hunting,
David

I have never been to Africa that I haven't seen ticks.

Thanks,
I had guessed that they might be Ambryomma. Those rickettsial diseases can be pretty bad. I would assume that they take a good feeding bite to make the transfer like their cousins over here. Had a friend that was doing some work with arthropods in Kenya, but haven't been in touch for a while. They used to call him 'the bwanna who hunts mice.'
Thanks again
Bfly

I use turpentine to remove the ticks. Works great.
Aside from that I find it quite easy to keep track of ticks by not wearing boots and socks while Hunting in infested areas. A good pair of Rocky sandals does well with ticks and water and is not a problem for the sharp stuff due to their thick canvas and wide soles. Also great for stalking as you are far more in touch with your surroundings. A quick glance at your legs every so often is enough to check and you see them when you have walked through thick brush. I have done a lot of buff and rhino tracking in dense bush in Zululand where the Nyala's ears look like they have a disease with the wads of ticks that attach to them and have never once had tick bite fever.
Two others that may help but could also just be by chance is that I take garlic tablets and wash with garlic soap for mozzies and flies. Works a treat

we sat out the big mat for siesta and lunch this summer in tanz, and small ticks began coming over the top in waves. three of us spent about 15 minutes crushing them with leatherman tools before the invasion stopped. never seen anything like it.

If you use anything treated with Permethrin or ANY synthetic pyrethrum, make sure to wash thoroughly after using/wearing. Pyrethrum is a very powerful insecticide, and its the base chemical in 90% of the worlds pesticides. Its basically a nerve agent. If you must treat your stuff, try to find something with deltamethrin or cyfluthrin, these are very safe and we use these chemicals to treat beds and furniture for bed bugs (I'm an exterminator)

MileHighshooter,

Allright, quick pesticide lesson, I have been in the pesticide development side of the business a long time, and exchanges in info like this consern me.

Permethrin is a syn pyrethriod ( not natural),

Pyrethrins (pyrethrums) are natural, produced by the flowers of Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium and C. coccineum) produced in mostly Kenya, TaNZ, and AUS.

There are a ton of Pyrethriods (not natural) out, Tetramethrin, Cypermethrin, Deltamethrin, Pallethrin, Bifenthrin, I can go on and on!
They are usually classed as 1st gen, 2nd gen, and 3rd gen, but that too deep for this conversation.

Natural pyrethrins, and syn pyrethroids are all axonic poisons that work by opening the sodium channels which allow sodium ions to enter the axion and cause over excitation and it paralyize them. THEY ALL DO THAT!

The point I want to get across is that there is one that is not "safer" than the other. Follow the label on the product, and Look at the MSDS sheet on the product. It will give a LD 50 on it. the lower the number the "worse" it is for you. FOLLOW THE LABEL, PEOPLE DIE FROM NOT FOLLOWING THE LABEL!

I'll stop my rant and get back to talking about guns and hunting!

Ed

And let's not forget; not following the instructions could grow you a third eye and a tail! Good info 505ED.

Just getting things into order for next months trip to Zim and serched for permethrin brought up this string. I found a spray at Cabelas and plan to spray all shirts, pants, vest, socks etc prior to leaving and probably once over there. I noticed the mention of doxy and I have always used a 50 day routine with doxy starting about 2 or 3 days prior to departure and continue until all are gone.

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:
You can get tick bite fever from pretty much any tick, and it's caused by the infection from the tick vomiting intoyour bloodstream when it's incorrectly removed. If you find a live tick on you and remove it correctly, you won't get tick bite fever.

With pepper ticks, as they're so small, it's very difficult to remove them with tweezers and the best way to get rid of them without getting an infection is to substitute your normal shower gel or soap with dog anti flea and tick shampoo. Give yourself a good going over with the shampoo, make sure you don't miss anywhere,give it a few minutes to work, then rinse and repeat.

It'll also help if you're using a broad spectrum anti biotic anti malarial.

When you get home, continue using the dog shampoo for a few days just to make sure you've got rid of them all.

Although it's extremely rare, tick bite fever can very occasionally be fatal. There was a news report (also mentioned here) a while ago of a guy dying of a dose of tick bite fever. - I also know a PH who went into anaphalactic (sp?) shock and almost died from the same thing a few years ago.

Hope that helps

Yup and when you start barking you know you've overdosed on the shampoo!

The Pepper tick, in its most common form are immature brown ear ticks, however David is correct in saying that every tick, in its intermediate stage are referred to as Pepper or seed ticks. Immature Brown ear ticks, are the most common in Africa and are commonly seen with the bright red or orange legs . They are often found in large "nests" of many thousand, so walking through a nest can be rather inconvenient to say the least. These bites are extremely itchy and the irritation can last for weeks after the bite is incurred.in many cases, the "pepper tick" is in fact embedded in the bite itself.

The JHB hiking club has an excellent article on the ticks , their bites and symptoms etc at
http://jhbhiking.org.za/cms/index.php?_qnz

I almost always use spats when hunting and soak these in Bayticol every evening. I also have a small spray bottle(non aerosol) which I put diluted Bayticol into and spray myself with (in the places where the sun dont shine) after I have showered etc.I have found that the spats stop ticks from climbing my legs as they detach when the get a whiff of the bayticol. Obviously scent is an issue in the bush, so dont make the solution too strong.

I was lucky enough to be involved with some fairly extensive research into different tick species and genus's around Zimbabwe and the numbers of ticks present in certain game only areas, would absolutely horrify you. Luckily, only a miniscule percentage of these ever attach themselves to a food source , but it is worth taking precautions

I got tickbite fever in 2005 in SA ( East Cape area ) It may not have happened if my PH had advised me on day one. He never mentioned it un til the fifth day of a ten day hunt. Ask your PH before you go, bring what you need and follow advice listed here and you will most likely be fine. I believe it happens more often then people belive but may be missed by Drs., here.

Infected tick bites from my first safari back in '97 gave me blood poisoning. I got bawled first by my wife the microbiologist and then by the doctor when I took them into the health center. Now, each time I come back from Africa, the mrs. strips me down and goes over my entire back with a magnifying glass making damned sure I haven't brought any unwelcome visitors home. She's had to remove a few a couple of times . . .

quote:

Originally posted by shakari:

With pepper ticks, as they're so small, it's very difficult to remove them with tweezers and the best way to get rid of them without getting an infection is to substitute your normal shower gel or soap with dog anti flea and tick shampoo. Give yourself a good going over with the shampoo, make sure you don't miss anywhere,give it a few minutes to work, then rinse and repeat.

I did this when I got into some pepper ticks. The nights turned cold, and the "lather and let sit 5 minutes before rinsing" was an eternity with no heat.

I had hundreds on my clothing (sprayed liberally with Permanone before my trip) so I must have walked through a nursery.

Edited to add: All my animals were covered in ticks except for the blesbok which was taken on a different property at a higher altitude. One of my warthogs had a serious lice infestation as well.

Damn! I must be awfully lucky. By my count I have spent 177 days on safari in Zim and SA. Never had a tick on me and saw very few and only on game.

465H&H

On a 2001 safari to Zim all four of us got tick bite fever from pepper ticks. I was told by the PH that once you get tick bite fever that you are immune to getting it again.

Be careful of using too much chemicals. It could cause your children to be born bald and naked.

quote:

Originally posted by gbanger:
Be careful of using too much chemicals. It could cause your children to be born bald and naked.

quote:

Originally posted by 465H&H:
Damn! I must be awfully lucky. By my count I have spent 177 days on safari in Zim and SA. Never had a tick on me and saw very few and only on game.

465H&H

I'm afraid that your PH gave you half-truths!

If you get tickbite fever and diagnose it early and start the correct antibiotics early you will not gain immunity against re-infection.

However if you get tickbite fever and suffer the splitting headache and other symptoms for a long time before starting treatment your immune system has enough time to build up immunity. Once immune you will not get it again. Ever! I know that I suffered long enough the last time I had it - did so on purpose and at the advice of my doctor. Only started taking the medicines once the headache became less and I was naturally on the mend. Since then I've walked through a few nexts of 'pepper ticks' in bad areas - but never got infected again. Probably more or less the same happened to Vlam - he was sick for a long enough time once - even as a baby or small boy, so that he does not remember it - and so built up immunity. Or maybe he is just one very lucky guy??

In good hunting.

Andrew McLaren

I had tick bite fever in 2002 from a tick in Limpopo. Never saw it, just the red mark it left.

I've not had any in the mid east, but last week I found three on me after 36 hours in the UK.

Spent 21 days in the Selous. Saw two ticks the whole time, one on my shorts and one on my PH's shirt. I walk my dogs across from our house in the East Bay Hills and pick a dozen off them virtually every time, even if they stay in the middle of the trail. Ticks are a much bigger issue in California then they are in Africa.

EB
sorry to chime in but Ticks in Africa are a major cause of stock loss and even human lives. Ticks are a vector for a number of diseases in cattle the major being Heart water which accounts for about 6000 cattle deaths in Zim alone every year. Last year there were 5 human deaths recorded from complications arising from tick borne diseases.

I am about to go on a hunt in the Save conservancy and will do my best to upload some pics off animals . The worst hit areas with ticks tend to be areas that have livestock populations and have reasonable annual rainfalls(ie good grass ).

Hope you dont mind the correction but Africa's tick problems are beginning to get out of hand . Luckily game are largely immune to the effects of the ticks ......

The photo of Sidnye's son's buff, shows a tick known as the bont-tick in SA. That's the beggar with the pattern on it's back. THAT IS TICK BITE FEVER, billary in cats and dogs and heartwater in cattle. It does not matter what size or stage of development the tick is, it will transmit the parasite when feeding.

word of warning .

Bont Ticks (Ablomma Hebreum) can cause severe tissue necrosis as well if removed incorrectly. Dogs seem to suffer very badly from this , but I have seen humans with large areas of rotten tissue around the bite site. This is not due to a venom, but rather due to a reaction to the long mouth parts remaining in tissue when pulled off.

If you ever find a Bont Tick attached to you, the best way to remove it is simply to dab it with petrol, or a spirit of some sort(only the tick). The tick will then disengage itself and drop off. Do not pull it off.