Ladys and gentlemen,
I am heading to selous in late july. Last time I was there I was bitten to the bone by Tettse . I hate the ( not enough to quit going) what can I do to try and minimize the times they bite me. Last time I looked like an astronaut. Not very comfy after chasing buffalo for hours... one even managed to bite me through my leather glove. Any tips sill be more than welcome. Thanks in advance

I had good luck using Avon Skin So Soft in Zambia during October.

Skin so soft (picardin) and things like smoldering elephant poop smoke help... but when they are around in numbers, nothing is going to stop all the bites.

I’d take some antihistamines (Claritin/Zyrtec for day, Benadryl if it’s not a no-no like in Zambia for evening, some hydrocortisone cream for itching, and some Zantac (the stomach drug, it’s a antihistamine with H2 activity)) for most of it. If you really get bad hives prednisone will help but is very side effect heavy and is prescription only, so you will need to convince a doc you are a good risk for needing it.

Enjoy the Selous! I love it there!

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
Skin so soft (picardin) and things like smoldering elephant poop smoke help... but when they are around in numbers, nothing is going to stop all the bites.

I’d take some antihistamines (Claritin/Zyrtec for day, Benadryl if it’s not a no-no like in Zambia for evening, some hydrocortisone cream for itching, and some Zantac (the stomach drug, it’s a antihistamine with H2 activity)) for most of it. If you really get bad hives prednisone will help but is very side effect heavy and is prescription only, so you will need to convince a doc you are a good risk for needing it.


Enjoy the Selous! I love it there!

Spot on advice but nothing is going to stop all the bastards.

Diego,

I have a pretty strong reaction to the nasty buggers. Avon Skins so Soft works pretty good and do take some antihistamines as suggested. One time my uvula swelled up to the point that if I coughed I had to actually swallow back my uvula. Claritin helped a lot.

Mark

Get the Permethrin spray for your clothes and SOAK them. My first trip to Zim in 2011 I did that. We were in tsetse areas almost daily. The PH, his trackers, and the game scout got eaten. I got bit one time, the last day, on the ankle. In hindsight I did not spray my socks as well as my shirt/pants. I won't go to a tsetse area without doing that. The main thing-don't be conservative on the spraying of the clothes. Use 1.5-2x as much as the label says. The clothes need to be WET when you are done. Once they air dry they can be washed 3-6 times without affecting efficacy. Beats the hell out of being a tsetse meal. I also used the Skin So Soft with sunscreen and bug repellant on my skin-worked well.

Second on the permethrin treatment.
Commercial sprays are 0.5%. I buy a termiticide spray on Amazon called Permethrin SFR that is 36.8%, do the Math and dilute up about 10 gallons in a Rubbermaid and soak all my clothing before leaving. Dry well, and I just pack and start wearing them. There will be a slight odor before the first washing, and if it bothers you, wash them once after treating and drying. Also takes care of ticks, not an insubstantial benefit.
This is much cheaper, and I think more effective than sprays. A quart is $23.80 on Amazon right now.
Once I made the mistake of using a permethrin concentrate made for treating cattle. Everything smelled like kerosene.

I washed my clothes in Permethrin and used wipes with Picardin....don't take this like I'm some kinda tough guy, but Tetse bites really didn't hurt that bad...annoying for sure, but Horse-Fly bites back home hurt 10x worse.

quote:

Originally posted by Marty:
Second on the permethrin treatment.
Commercial sprays are 0.5%. I buy a termiticide spray on Amazon called Permethrin SFR that is 36.8%, do the Math and dilute up about 10 gallons in a Rubbermaid and soak all my clothing before leaving. Dry well, and I just pack and start wearing them. There will be a slight odor before the first washing, and if it bothers you, wash them once after treating and drying. Also takes care of ticks, not an insubstantial benefit.
This is much cheaper, and I think more effective than sprays. A quart is $23.80 on Amazon right now.
Once I made the mistake of using a permethrin concentrate made for treating cattle. Everything smelled like kerosene.

Great tip Marty, are there any of these little buggers in Coutada 9? Headed there in September

thank you
Gale Johnson

I was in C9 in 2015, and I don’t remember much of a fly problem. I was there in August.

Coutada 10 had no tsetse in Oct.

I bring the 100% deet I use in Alaska. Liquid to rub on expoded skin and spray for my clothing.
Cal

I am one of those lucky people both mosquitoes and tse tse flies seem to avoid!

Sitting on teh truck next to anyone seems to attract them to them, leaving me well alone|

Suck it up and take it like a man

All good suggestions & let me add long trousers with the bottoms tucked into high boots, long sleeved shirts, avoid wearing blue or black & when you do get bitten zap the site wound (when possible & as soon as possible) with one of these type of things

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paing...scular/dp/B0056PRXOU

quote:

Originally posted by Gale Johnson:

quote:

Originally posted by Marty:
Second on the permethrin treatment.
Commercial sprays are 0.5%. I buy a termiticide spray on Amazon called Permethrin SFR that is 36.8%, do the Math and dilute up about 10 gallons in a Rubbermaid and soak all my clothing before leaving. Dry well, and I just pack and start wearing them. There will be a slight odor before the first washing, and if it bothers you, wash them once after treating and drying. Also takes care of ticks, not an insubstantial benefit.
This is much cheaper, and I think more effective than sprays. A quart is $23.80 on Amazon right now.
Once I made the mistake of using a permethrin concentrate made for treating cattle. Everything smelled like kerosene.

Great tip Marty, are there any of these little buggers in Coutada 9? Headed there in September

thank you
Gale Johnson

C9 Sept 2016. No tsetse issues. It was a very dry year.

Returning with Mokore to Sengwa in Sept 2019 - Any tsetse flies there?

Do not wear dark blue. Light kaki or grey.

Thanks for all the good advice! I will do as said! Milan I will bite the bullet for hunting but being prepared does not hurt!!

Some good tips here.I have a rendezvous with the tsetse in the coming late season.

When they bite you, as they will, by the way - and may any and all chemicals be damned - you must not just smack them, as you would a mosquito.

You must hit them hard, with your open palm, and then grind and smear them, with the heel of your hand, with a pushing, twisting and wiping motion.

Then, although others will bite you, in their own good time, the one you killed won't bite you ever again.

With tse tse flies, deterrence only works one at a time.

I still think DEET works the best and use the stronger variety. Permethrin in the clothes is a good idea. Wear long sleeves.

We don't have Tet tse here in Aus but we do have some serious bugs nonetheless.

Not sure how this would work but I mix my own "home-brew" which is 90% baby oil to 10% Dettol by liquid volume.

Not pleasant to wear... but the protection it has provided me on the past, against stinging and biting bugs is awesome.

I'd be interested in someone trying it just to see if it does work on the dreaded Tet tse.

Best of luck on your hunt.

recieved the Avon so soft today! getting ready!

I wouldn't recommend any sprays or Skin So Soft if the weather is really hot with no breeze. That stuff will do a number on wood stocks as well.

Why? Very agressive with skin?

quote:

Originally posted by bwanajay:
I wouldn't recommend any sprays or Skin So Soft if the weather is really hot with no breeze. That stuff will do a number on wood stocks as well.

Dunno what crap they add to those products but I discovered they don't agree with vinyl dashboards or steering wheels so make sure you wipe/wash your hands after use; if they melt plastic I doubt they are good on the skin.

quote:

Why? Very agressive with skin?

I sweat a lot on hot days and the lotion mixed with heavy sweat on your hands and arms can be messy and annoying. Western Tanzania is probably the worst I've experienced for tsetse.

I've never experienced any skin problem using Deet or SSS.

quote:

Dunno what crap they add to those products but I discovered they don't agree with vinyl dashboards or steering wheels so make sure you wipe/wash your hands after use; if they melt plastic I doubt they are good on the skin.

Another good reason not to use those products!