A friend is going hiking in South Africa, and has asked me this question.

I have no idea when the tick season is, or if there is such a things tick season.

May be ticks are more prevalent at certain time of the year?

Any help would be much appreciated.

What calibre is best for ticks "in season"?


(Sorry Saeed, couldn't resist )

No problems NitroX, we make allowances for those living upside down

I think there at their worst just after the rainy season. I´ve done my hunts in March-April and always had plenty of ticks to deal with but they were really troublesome last year as the rains were better. The small red ones are the worst -about as big as a pinhead- and my father in-law came down with tick fever. Remeber to check every (and I mean every) piece of skin each day, this is easier if your travelling with a female companion (cause I mean everywhere), the alternative is getting to know your PH VERY well!

Saeed,

cewe is quite right, just after the raining season (in the summer rainfall areas) is the worst time forr ticks.But any time in summer before the first very severe frost, which may be as early as May, but never in the really warmenr northern areas, ticks can be a real problem.

I think that the thing to do is to, yes by all means plan your hiking to be in "low tick season",but in addition take preventative measures against being bitten. There are a number of very good commercial spray-on products as well as a few proven "home brews" to prevent getting a large number oif tick bites. Note, not to prevent tickbite alltogether, that's just not possible. But you can cut down on the number of bites that you are likely to get.

As hunting outfitter I provide commercial and for good measure some self=made bug juice for my clients. Let your friend ask whoever is arranging his hike to assist. Or let him send me a PM about it.

Check your navel, a favorite hiding place of ticks. Socks up over your pant legs or some sort of gaitors are a good idea if the problem is severe. Watch where you sit down. All this sounds basic but it can make a difference. A good PH would assign a female member of his staff to do nightly inspection if the hunter is unaccompanied.

March April you get the pepper ticks which are too small to see unless they move. Got a bad dose of an unusual stain of lyme dissease from one last year! By june they have molted and grown so at least you can see the buggers.

Anybody hunting in the rainy season in Zim (nov-april) is well advised to spray their kit with tick repllant and wear long trousers and damm the heat

A lot will also depend on where he will be. Areas that hold or have previously held cattle will usually have a lot more ticks than areas that have only ever held indiginous game. Also for some reason it always appears to me that there are far fewer ticks in areas that hold good populations of wildebeest......but that could just be my imagination.

All the above advice is good, dress accordingly, check yourself carefully every day and spray clothes with a good tick repellant.... I also replace my shower gel with a good dog shampoo every two or three days which will kill any ticks that have gotten onto you (If you start to pant a lot or sniff peoples crotches you've overdone it!).....but I reckon the best advice is to get someone else (trackers are good for this!) to walk in front of you.....then most of the ticks go on them!

There's no point in getting old if you don't get crafty.

We live right on the East coast and if I take a walk to the range less than 100m from the house I figure on picking up ticks.

We bought Bayticol cattle spray and dilute it 10ml to 10 litres of water. When our washing goes on the line, we spray socks, trousers, skirts and shirts with the solution. Shoes get done as we think about it. Once dry, it is completely odourless. Ticks climb aboard but do not attach and die very quickly.

When we get visitors and go walking on the property, they get sprayed before we go. Initially they think we are a bit wierd but soon get used to it.

Baiticol spray is available at most outdoor shops in RSA it works well, products to wash your clothes in are usually available in the same stores. I provide all the above to my clients, it should be part of the service the outfitter or touring operater offers his clients

Shakari: Are you serious about the dog shampoo? And if you are what´s the active ingredient that keeps the ticks off?

Spray your clothes with perimethrin before you go anywhere with ticks. It also helps with mosquitos and no-seeums - a little bit.

The perimethrin I used said not to spray your underwear, socks or sleeping bag - but I ignored that. I just made sure the underwear and socks were washed before I wore them. The sleeping bag I just aired out well.

Perimethrin will last through several washings and several weeks. I had zero ticks on two trips to RSA and again on a ten day canoe trip in the Boundary Waters.

I believe flumethrin is the active ingredient in Bayticol, but I'm not sure. I would not use Bayticol unless I could not get perimethrin.

Two years ago Perimethrin was available in the US at most serious outdoor stores - I haven't checked lately. Look at the spray cans to see which has the ingredient, as they do not advertise it well.

perimethrin at Cabela's

Note: I have not tried the wash-in version, but I intend to get some. I sprayed the tent I took to the Boundary Waters and it seemed to help. Those were some fierce mosquitoes!

Cewe,

Yes I'm serious about the dog shampoo but not about the crotch sniffing!

I'm not sure about the active ingredient as the print on the bottle is too small to read but It's just a regular tick & flea dog shampoo.........gives me a lovely glossy coat though!

Ticks can be a problem all year in southern Africa. They seem to be worst in areas with alot of warthog dens. I use a spay of %100 DEET on my boots,socks and pants legs to keep them at bay.

I was told May was the worst month by a friend who has been several times. It probably has to do with the fact this is the month over there he got tick fever.

If I am going to spend alot of time in tick infested areas during hot weather here, I will in addition to bug juice tape the cuffs of my pants to my boots. Works for me. I don't wear shorts in tick infested areas, I don't care how hot it is.