TANZANIA JULY AND TSETSE FLIES
 

Thanks to much help from fellow travelers comments and this site, my wife and I have decided and confirmed the following Itinerary during July 2011!!
We are very excited..!

Day 1 Arrival JRO
Day 2 Arusha / Tarangire National Park
Day 3 Tarangire
Day 4 Tarangire / Ngorongoro
Day 5 Ngorongoro / Central Serengeti
Day 6 Northern Serengeti
Day 7 Northern Serengeti
Day 8 Flight from Serengeti back to JRO and departure

Recently I have been hearing/reading about Tsetse Flies..? Does anyone have experience in dealing with the tsetse? Should we be concerned?
Any comments/information would be greatly appreciated..
Cheers!

YESSSSSSS - badly in some spots!

No repellent works. Don't believe in ONE!

Pull your socks over your long pants, cover your hands and wear thick pants, fleece etc. If you get take a hat-net.

Those Tsetse are ugly. You won't hear them. Only when they are almost finish suckling you realise them.

Watch the pic - not the one with spread wings, further down. That's a better picture (I chose the German site because of the pic)

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsetsefliegen

Those flies go through jeans!

So be aware.

As it's July you need thick clothes anyway for early morning/evening drives.

Northern Serengeti and Tarangire - both areas have big tsetse patches.

((@))

Have a look at these two recent threads from this forum - they should give you all of the information you need about tsetses.
Robin

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...ark-colors.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...onth-in-tz.cfm

On another board, Safaridude recommends a "bug suit". I'm definitely investing - we hope to be there in July 2011 too.

Yes, their sneaky critters, can't hear them and by the time you see them, they may have already done the nasty on you... awful sting. But there are often found in woodlands, where you guide will know... so roll up the windows, put on the a/c and ride thru them.

This past June, one area in Tarangire was loaded with them, and yet not a bite. In fact, but on a visit in '98 where I got a nip, never any since.

Repellent won't work, so just avoid them. And, don't spend your time thinking of them... just go and enjoy and deal with them if/when.