Mosquitos love me
 

I mean really love me, like they haven't eaten in 10 years and I'm the only human left on earth. So I'd love everyone's recommedations for my safari in August. I think I was bitten through my clothes in Zambia - does washing your clothes in some kind of solution work? Does it ruin yourclothes? How do you cope with the fact most repellents last 4 hours but you are asleep for 8 hours all tips appreciated

For your clothing: Try Sawyers with Permethrin

Best mosquito repellent I've found is Ultrathon by 3M. It's time release, so it lasts 12 hours. I've never had a bite with this stuff.

Unfortunately, before I found Ultrathon, I used 100% deet on a hiking trip and it rubbed off the lettering from the back of my camera. Scary!

I think you can get both from REI.

Hope that helps!

Ha! I know exactly how you feel Yvonne! In fact I've just posted a very similar question on the Asia board.

I've also used 100% DEET and can't help but feel smugly satisfied when I can feel hundreds (well it feels that way sometimes) of mosquitos bouncing off me with nary a bite to be found.

Sure it's a little scary, but I figure it's only for 3 weeks or less and nothing else I've tried works as well.

You'll be provided with a mosquito net over your bed if your are staying in any area that contains mosquitos.

I bring the 100% or near 100% deet spray with me but hardly ever use it in August.

In what month were you bitten by mosquitos in Zambia?

Hi, actually it was December, height of the raining season in Zambia when they got me, people can't believe the photos I look look I have smallpox!

Atravelyn, was curious about the mosquito nets offered. If the camp/lodges Don't show the mossie nets in their pictures are they possibly still available?

YvonneM, I was thinking of bringing my own net that I have somewhere in the house from when I went to Malaysia / Asia. Would require having a place to hang it from over the bed though. At least that would help at night. May have bought the mossie net (for over the bed) from the clinic where I received my vaccinations, but don't remember now.

Remember that August is winter in East Africa, so malaria mossie biting time - from dusk to dawn - will be pretty cold. And mossies don't like cold, nor fly in high-altitude of over 4,000 to 5,000-ft. and if it's windy.

I'd be a bit more concerned while you're on Zanzibar island. Though winter here too, the coastal areas are generally warmer and humid year-round. And being around water, it's more likely mossies will abound.

As I'm not a magnet, but for those Zanzi mossies eating away at my ankles in June, we weren't much bothered by these even during our damp safari days in the Serengeti.

Lovetodiscover,

Most camps/lodges have mosquito nets, not to worry about that. Even if it isnt in the pics, i'm sure they hv netting.

Hari

Hi Sandi! Yes I'm more concerned about Zanzibar - one reason why i am going to try out Keminski's : with its air con. ( No reports here yet I see but some encouraging ones on tripadvisor ) On the subject of biters are there sand flies on the beach in Zanzibar? - probably the only creature in the world that likes to bite me more than Mosi's. Also no matter where I go there always seems to be 1 small hole in the Mosi net that the creatures break through in their never ending attempt to get me. Do you think I should bring something to spay the nets with? PS after another incredible bite fest in Panama from sand flies some similarily munched tourists recomended painting the bites with nail varnish - very fetching. We all had a go - I'm not sure it helped with the itching but it did give us all something to peel off rather than scratching our flesh to bits.

Yvonne, doesn't it feel good to be loved so totally? The mossies love me too, and we didn't have too terrible of a time in Zanzibar and we had no a/c. However, I did get bit there as it was the end of our holiday and I got a little lazy with my DEET regimen. If you stay diligent with it, you should be okay. We were there in July and the wind seemed to help a bit.

I don't remember any sand flies.

I did treat all my clothes with permethrin before we went, but I've since read on this site that permethrin does nothing to keep the mossies away. :( Well, it was a fun project.

Honestly, TZ in July was not near as bad as some places in Mexico and Central America where I've been eaten alive.

Lovetodiscover,

The mosquito nets--They have always been attached to the ceiling and draped over the bed.

Now that you mention it, the pictures I've seen of accommodations do not show the nets in use. It probably obscures the view of the bed and the rest of the room/tent and detracts from the whole attractiveness of the accommodation. Also, during the day, the netting may be removed and pictures are most likely taken during the day.

Any reputable camp would not want the guests being bitten up at night so if mosquitos are present, a net will be provided. In fact, I've found that nets were provided even when they were not really needed. You could request a net upon arrival when being shown your tent, if needed.

YvonneM,

August is very different than December, so you should not have to endure another small pox outbreak.

Thanks Hari and atravelyn for feedback on the netting. Good news for sleeping at night.

YvonneM, think I've heard the from other discussions that the TseTse flies are able to bite through clothes. Maybe that's what got you in Zambia. Might have been Sandi who spoke about the TseTse flies.

So what do tse tse fly bites look like? do they itch for days ( mine did) and is there anything that will disuade them for banqueting? How ironic I'm sitting here in London typing this and guess what? a mosquito has had me! I have about 6 bites ...

Here's a link to the "Deet" discussion thread: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34791065

Also found picture of TseTse fly: http://fohn.net/pictures-of-flies/pix-flies-6.html

Have you tried eating garlic for mossie repellent? Don't know if it works but sounds interesting . Guess the mosquitos don't like the garlic.

Thanks for this I eagerly read the Deet thread - and I think I'll try and get some of that long lasting 35% lotion and try not to worry too much about the flies as there doesn't seem to be much we can do about them.

Yvonne,
Don't know where you're going for your trip, but on our safari in Kenya and Tanzania there were no mosquito nets. However, in the (permanent) tents there were zipper windows with netting that kept all bugs out. They also sprayed each evening.

Had no problem with mosquitos anywhere except for Nairobi. I believed what I had been told (no mossies at that elevation) and paid dearly for it.

Most important: What Leely mentioned about keeping up the DEET regimen. Those little buggers are ferocious and merciless. I remember once (in Argentina), I washed my hands before going to the bathroom, and came back with bites on my knuckles to show for it!

Tsetse flies? Nothing works. Sorry :(

Femi

Dont worry.....there arent going to be any tste flies in camp or room. They maybe out in the bush somewhere, but, they have special traps out in high tstse fly zones that trap and curb them!!!

Just go enjoy yourself;

Hari

I agree with Hari in that, we never saw tsetse around camp areas.

My DH and guide got stung by some BA tse's when driving thru some tse zones. They said the bites hurt alot and did get ugly welts.
The traps are your basic blue hanging piece of cloth - so try not to wear blue (dark blue particularly).
Advice:
When driving thru infested areas, put windows up and drive like a bat out of hell :[
- this, however, only works if your doing drive-thru screaming =-o
Sherry

Yvonne - here's another link with some cautions about using DEET on the face: http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34803256