We had significant numbers of tsetses in Katavi last year, but I've never seen many on the northern circuit or in Kenya. "Sundowner" had lots of problems with the bites and took antihistimines, used Afterbite, and anything else we could dig up. I don't think anything used directly on the bites helped much. I used a product called "Skeeter Beater" that was advertised as being effective with tsetses. I was bitten a few times, but they never left a mark and I didn't have any of the itching. I don't know if I was just lucky and not allergic to the bites, or if the stuff kept the flies from being able to get a a full "bite". I think the company now makes a product called "Bushman's Choice" that has twice the herbs used in the other product. "Safaridude" commented on his experience with "Skeeter Beater" and other tsetse avoidance methods in this thread: http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...a-cleaning.cfm

Our TA told me that the only thing he's ever found to relieve the sting of the Tse Tse fly bite was to boil water and dab it on the bite with a cloth. Not convenient, but he says it takes the sting out completely and he knows because he once had 100 of them.