Ticks

[BRICKBURN]

TABARD

 

[Jon Glajchen]

Permethrin is unavailable in my area because of silly regulations. What would you guys recommend I do for my upcoming safari in Limpopo? Is there any store in Johannesburg that has some good tick repellant that you can recommend

Get Bayticol it’s made by Bayer. Available at most pharmacies. I would try Dischem, they have many branches in and around Johannesburg

 

[Pirkan]

Get Bayticol it’s made by Bayer. Available at most pharmacies. I would try Dischem, they have many branches in and around Johannesburg

This is just the kind of advice I was after. Thanks a lot.

 

[Doug3006]

Eland are also greatly afflicted by ticks. One of them I took in the Limpopo had lost an ear to an especially sever infestation. I’m told that periodically burning the bush is the best way to control them. Unfortunately this conservation best practice has become rare In SA.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Sorry if already addressed, but do you treat socks and underwear as well i.e. it’s safe for direct contact with skin?

Depends on your sensitivity to certain chemicals. And the strength of your mixture.

The first time I mixed up a batch of Permetherin and water it was a measured 1 ounce of Permetherin to 4 ounces of water, applied onto clothing till the clothing was damp, let dry, then wash without any detergent or softener, and air dried.

Being my first trip to Africa a munger of things could have dried and reddened my skin. However, back home, using that same solution on my clothes, on the opening day of goose and dove seasons by the end of the day my skin was red, dry and itchy where my outter clothing was against the skin. Kind of like a heat rash or a wind burn riding around on a lake all day in a power boat.

Same thing happens when I use a strong Deet insect repellent applied directly to my skin. To prevent this I wear untreated t-shirt, underwear, and socks, and spay a moderate amount of a Deet insect repellent around my waist/belt line, top of shoes or boots and bottom of pant legs (if pants are outside of boots) or where pants are tucked into boots, as a little extra added prevention. Having success here in the US I used this same method on my last 2 trips to Africa with success against ticks. Mosquitoes, those down right worst of these evil bastards will suffer through any and all types of repellent barriers, netting, clothing, camo makeup, smoke, tear gas ( Yes. Even military grade CS gas), etc. to bite me.

Before your trip to Africa:
If you know you have sensitive skin test your sensitivity level by wearing your treated clothing for several hours. If you have a reaction consider my remedy. If you don't have any reactions then it is probably relatively safe to say you can spray your under garments; t-shirts, underwear, and socks with Permetherin and not have any problems.

 

[uplander01]

All good advice, follow it. I got hammered by pepper ticks after a zim trip, wasn't feeling well for a few weeks after. tetse flies don't like skin so soft bug repel and sun block...don't know why but I hunted area for 10 days in infested mozambique location and only got bit 3-4 times in areas that weren't covered,.....may work for ticks too-

Not a big fan of deet, that stuff is really bad for you. Permethrin treated clothes is a game changer.

 

[Bert the Turtle]

Also, blouse your pants. Want them to have to spend time on the permethrin-treated cloth rather than just being able to bypass it.

 

[Finprof]

A good way to blouse your pants is to wrap the cuffs with duct tape sticky side out. If they try to crawl up the outside of your pants they get stuck.
And spray with permethrin.

 

[Woodcarver]

Depends on your sensitivity to certain chemicals. And the strength of your mixture.

The first time I mixed up a batch of Permetherin and water it was a measured 1 ounce of Permetherin to 4 ounces of water, applied onto clothing till the clothing was damp, let dry, then wash without any detergent or softener, and air dried.

Being my first trip to Africa a munger of things could have dried and reddened my skin. However, back home, using that same solution on my clothes, on the opening day of goose and dove seasons by the end of the day my skin was red, dry and itchy where my outter clothing was against the skin. Kind of like a heat rash or a wind burn riding around on a lake all day in a power boat.

Same thing happens when I use a strong Deet insect repellent applied directly to my skin. To prevent this I wear untreated t-shirt, underwear, and socks, and spay a moderate amount of a Deet insect repellent around my waist/belt line, top of shoes or boots and bottom of pant legs (if pants are outside of boots) or where pants are tucked into boots, as a little extra added prevention. Having success here in the US I used this same method on my last 2 trips to Africa with success against ticks. Mosquitoes, those down right worst of these evil bastards will suffer through any and all types of repellent barriers, netting, clothing, camo makeup, smoke, tear gas ( Yes. Even military grade CS gas), etc. to bite me.

Before your trip to Africa:
If you know you have sensitive skin test your sensitivity level by wearing your treated clothing for several hours. If you have a reaction consider my remedy. If you don't have any reactions then it is probably relatively safe to say you can spray your under garments; t-shirts, underwear, and socks with Permetherin and not have any problems.

Not a surprise you got a little red with that mix. If the concentrate you have is 10%, your 1:4 mix is 5 times the recommended dilution of .5%. 10% concentrate should be mixed 1:20. If you have the really concentrated stuff at 38%, it needs to be mixed 1:75 to get a .5% solution. The stuff like Sawyers sold premixed is .5%

Just informational-the really concentrated stuff is typically used outdoors, like kennels and stables. Be very careful using it if you have cats. They can't handle a solution above 1%, or even associate with a dog that had a heavier concentrate used on it. Results can be ugly.

 

[Ridge Runner]

Not a surprise you got a little red with that mix. If the concentrate you have is 10%, your 1:4 mix is 5 times the recommended dilution of .5%. 10% concentrate should be mixed 1:20. If you have the really concentrated stuff at 38%, it needs to be mixed 1:75 to get a .5% solution. The stuff like Sawyers sold premixed is .5%

Just informational-the really concentrated stuff is typically used outdoors, like kennels and stables. Be very careful using it if you have cats. They can't handle a solution above 1%, or even associate with a dog that had a heavier concentrate used on it. Results can be ugly.

The Permetherin I use comes from Tractor Supply. Recommended for stables, kennels, pens, Not Recommended for use on or around cats. And I did go heavy on the mix since I was using it on clothing and not directly on my skin, Not Recommended for human use. Meant for livestock and dogs.

IIRC the small bottle is good for 5 or 10 gallons and the big bottle is for 50 or 100 gallons.

 

[Woodcarver]

Another informational note on Permethrin. Don't use a milk jug to store it. Apparently it will break down the plastic in about a year's time. Ask me how I added that to my knowledge base....oh, and it will cause distortion on a pressboard shelf over that same time frame....

 

[Sketchy1973]

My wife is convinced, that I'm going to basically die in South Africa in April. If not by a Cape Buffalo stomping, but by being eaten alive but something. And now she stumbled upon this thread. She freaks out about tics.

 

[BJH65]

100% on checks throughout the day. Hunted buffalo in Limpopo adjacent to the Greater Kruger area. I noticed after killing the buffalo lots of large black ticks the size of peas on the underside of the buffalo, probably hundreds. Well, one of them latched onto my ankle underneath my sock I estimated for about 12-14 hours. My sock was treated with Premerithin and skin with Picaridin. Didn’t seem to phase the giant black buffalo tick latched onto my ankle underneath my sock that I discovered much later in the evening. I did not check myself for ticks previously.

After engaging in a tug of war with that tick and liberally dousing it with pure alcohol I got it off me. Whether I got African Tick Fever I’m not certain because after I returned home the folks at our house where having a Covid festival while I was gone and I got Covid and then some kind of reactive arthritis. Anyways, my doctor treated me for it with antibiotics regardless and steroids for the arthritis and was all good after a few weeks. Tick bite took several months to go away. When we go back again in 2026 I’ll be checking myself often.

 

[Hunt anything]

I contacted tick fever in Aug of last year , it took 2 regimens of doxycycline to get rid of it. I was pretty much down for the whole month. This tick got down in my boot and was only attached for about 2 hours and symptoms started about 3 days later. The picture was taken on day five and took 3 weeks to heal. I also had bug spray on my boots and socks, I must have missed a spot.

 

[Doug3006]

Limpopo is tick heaven! I used permethrin on my clothes before I left. It worked great initially. Lots of dead ticks on my pants and no bites. Then after the 3rd wash, it wore off. I got 2-3 tick bites and contracted African tick bite fever on my way home. The trip home was miserable. Doxycycline fixed me up. I felt better in a few days. The wound was hideous and took months to fully heal.

Moral of the story. Take some permethrin spray with you and reapply after each washing. You should be good.

 

[Mattmann86]

I’m going to Kimberly SA in June. You guys have me worried now! Anything I need to prepare for?

 

[JimP]

As I'm sure has been mentioned get some Permithin and get a couple of coatings on your clothing. Socks, pants, shirts, and jacket.

You can buy it on Amazon, Walmart, or REI, along with other stores. I will hang my clothing on hangars or hooks in my garage to spray them down.

I even use it during turkey season here in Colorado.

 

[M70375!]

As I'm sure has been mentioned get some Permithin and get a couple of coatings on your clothing. Socks, pants, shirts, and jacket.

You can buy it on Amazon, Walmart, or REI, along with other stores. I will hang my clothing on hangars or hooks in my garage to spray them down.

I even use it during turkey season here in Colorado.

I got Colorado spotted tick fever 2 years ago, felt like I had covid again, no energy or appetite lost 10 pounds and I didn't have 10 pounds to lose, took doxycycline which made me puke sometimes , took a month to start feeling normal and did not gain all my weight back till a year and a half latter when I went on the carnivore diet. Been using permethrin on my clothes since and no problems yet .

 

[Ridge Runner]

I’m going to Kimberly SA in June. You guys have me worried now! Anything I need to prepare for?

1. June is early winter: be prepared for all sorts of weather temps and conditions.

2. Spray your clothing with Permetherin, use an insect repellent on exposed skin.

3. Periodically check yourself for ticks throughout the hunt, with a more thorough check once arriving back to the lodge.

4. I travel with both:
Doxycycline and Doxycyclone: one is for anti malaria/anti biotic and the other an anti inflammatory and minor pain reliever.

Talk with your Primary Care Provider about what they recommend for you to do to help prevent or in case of tick bite / being infected with African Tick Bite Fever.

Use common sense and enjoy your trip.

 

[MS 9x56]

Permethrin, Permethrin, Permethrin on all of your clothing. Socks, pants, shirts, hat, if you wear any clothing spray it down with a couple coatings of it. You can get it at Walmart, Amazon, REI and pretty much any other outdoor store. Look in the camping area.

Then a good bug spray that has a high concentration of Deet.

On my first hunt I was sitting in a ant bed, that I didn't know about. The ants were all over my boots but stopped at the top and my socks and pants.

We also hunted a area that was solid with pepper ticks, two of us that used the Permethrin didn't have a single one on us, the one hunter who didn't use any was covered with them.

Also talk to your doctor and get some heavy antibiotics to take with you.

Doxycycline for antibiotics.