A Few General Questions- Limpopo

absales

absales

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Hi all!

Just a few general questions. I have attempted searching the forum but I guess I am not using the proper wording. In regards to the Limpopo area on a safari in late July or early August.

Did you have any issues with mosquitoes and or any other flying insects or bugs that might bite or sting?

Did you get any shots or vaccinations before your trips?

How do you handle travelling to a separate park tour that the outfitter is not involved with while having your rifle with you? I am considering Pilanesberg National Park.

Any information appreciated

Thanks!
 
absales said:
Hi all!

Just a few general questions. I have attempted searching the forum but I guess I am not using the proper wording. In regards to the Limpopo area on a safari in late July or early August.

Did you have any issues with mosquitoes and or any other flying insects or bugs that might bite or sting?

Did you get any shots or vaccinations before your trips?

How do you handle travelling to a separate park tour that the outfitter is not involved with while having your rifle with you? I am considering Pilanesberg National Park.

Any information appreciated

Thanks!
Click to expand...
All really good questions for your outfitter. And Pilanesberg is awesome!
 
Depends where you are going. Some areas are high elevation but you wouldn’t know it. Johannesburg is 5700 feet. It can be cold depending where you are. I wouldn’t expect to see very many mosquitoes especially if cold, but if you are close to Kruger or Zimbabwe you are technically in malaria zone. It will be much warmer there at lower elevations. Ticks can be bad in some areas. I’d spray your clothes down with permethrin before trip. No shots needed for South Africa.
 
Be aware of tick bite fever. Permethrin on pants and socks a week or so before you go, at a minimum, is a good idea.

A visit to Travel Health, aka Passport Health is good too, if you are paranoid like me. :)
 
I hunted Limpopo this past August and saw zero bugs in the area we hunted. After the hunt our outfitter set us up for 4 days in Kruger he had one of his PH’s drive us and be our guide. We did see a few anaphsoles mosquitoes when we stayed at a camp on the Mozambique border, so we used bug spray but my daughter came down with something about 10 days after we returned but tested negative for malaria. She works in international public health snd had to demand to be tested in her home city of Atlanta. She actually had to go to the CDC for the test where she used to work. No clinic would administer a malaria test. There are a few cases of malaria reported in Kruger every year so just use common sense. Normally it’s too cold for mosquitoes in August but you never know. The side trip was unplanned but we probably would have taken something if we had known we were going to Kruger.

You can take your firearm into Kruger and I assume all of the parks are the same. You declare them on entering the park snd they put a lock on it and take the lock off when you exit the park. No worries at all.

I do make sure my tetanus shot is still good especially with all of the thorns!!
 
In early Sept this year, near Thabazimbzi, Limpopo ( 2 hrs east of Pilansberg) we encountered biting "horse flies" that were annoying, and several years ago in same area in July swarms of tiny gnats. A head bug mask is cheap and doesn't take up any room. Worth packing one of those. No malaria in that area.
 
I take a really cheap bug net as well as a neck gaiter to pull up around my ears in case the mopane flies are bad. As others have said, ticks can be a problem, treat your clothing appropriately!
 
Limpopo was my home for several years. You mentioned July and August; these months are well outside the normal rainy season, so there used to be very few, if any, mosquitoes.

However, like everywhere else, the climate in Limpopo has also changed, forecasts are often inaccurate. I never take malaria prophylaxis; I protect myself in other ways. Otherwise, I've only found ticks in that area.
 
Andrew62 said:
I take a really cheap bug net as well as a neck gaiter to pull up around my ears in case the mopane flies are bad. As others have said, ticks can be a problem, treat your clothing appropriately!
Click to expand...
A sponsor on the site, African Sporting Creations has a very good head net I take anywhere I think bugs may be a problem.
 
Limpopo has lots of ticks. I treated all my clothes with permethrin before I went. None of my party ended up with any ticks on us. However, my kudu I shot was loaded. Proving, they are definitely there. From what I understand, they seem to be in patches.

As for malaria, I wouldn't take prophylaxis. With that being said, there is in fact malaria in Limpopo sometimes. We were there in May of 2023 and at the gas stations, there were flyers from the local government warning folks that malaria had been showing up within Limpopo. As others have said, I wouldn't go and start taking prophylaxis. Bug spray would be the way to go.

Time of year is everything, as well. If you were there in January-February, which is their rainy season, might be a different story. Also, the mosquitoes are not around much during the day and unless you have a night hunt, you'll probably be resting having dinner.
 
Your SAPs visitors firearm permit allows you to travel with the approved firearm. As stated you should declare it at the Kruger Gate and they will seal the gun bag / case and take it off when you leave the park. No big deal.

A short stop at any Clicks drug store and a couple of cans of Peaceful Sleep - spray your legs / pants in the morning before you go out and you are good against ticks. And if you are worried about mossies at night just spray your tent / room around sunset and should be ok when you retire for the night. Not as brutal as permethrin.

.
 
Make an appointment at Passport Health or equivalent medical facility and they will provide most current vaccine recommendations. Also consider Med Jet and/or Global Rescue. And, contact the US Embassy in country and let them know who you are hunting with, where you are hunting & staying, and arrival & departure schedule. Let the PH know you have made contact with your embassy.
 
I hunted northern Limpopo last August and we had no problems with insects. I'm a physician, and I would recommend malaria prophylaxis. We can treat malaria but we cannot cure it, and it can be the gift that keeps on giving. I always take generic Malarone to Africa. Your physicians back home are not experienced with malaria and it may not be quickly recognized if you become ill upon your return.

An oral typhoid vaccine isn't a bad idea (it's good for about five years) but not crucial unless you plan to swim rivers or the like. We're heading back in June, it's been seven years since my last, and our Medicare plan covered it 100%, so why not?

I'm less enthused about travel medicine clinics. You're likely going to see a midlevel who has never been to Africa, not a board-certified infectious disease physician. It's simpler to check the relevant CDC foreign country reference, like https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/south-africa , and then take that in to your primary physician. If your physician is Mormon/LDS, that is a plus, as they frequently assist missionaries and are familiar with many of these drugs and recommendations. I've never had problems with ticks, but your doc may provide you with a ten-day supply of doxycycline, just in case you are bitten and have symptoms. That drug does make you more susceptible to sunburn, so don't use it recklessly.
 
.

One thing I do take tablets for annually is Bilharzia (snail fever), mainly as I do a fair amount of fishing in Africa & often wade in shorts. Have rarely come across medical folk that think about this one! If you are in water fishing or swimming then its one to think about.

.
 
Late July / August the bugs will not be an issue. At least no more than what you would experience in New Jersey in the late fall.. We have stopped at Pilanesburg on multiple trips at both the start and end. You guns are not an issue - we kept ours on our rooms. They will also secure them for you if desired. Pilanesburg is worth the visit - the accommodations alone are awesome, not to mention the wildlife.
 
shootist~ said:
Be aware of tick bite fever. Permethrin on pants and socks a week or so before you go, at a minimum, is a good idea.

A visit to Travel Health, aka Passport Health is good too, if you are paranoid like me. :)
Click to expand...
I got tick fever my last trip.....hit me on the plane ride home, it sucked! :LOL:
 
Been there three times, beware of ticks, they come in all colors and shapes :ROFLMAO:
 
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