Ticks in Eastern Cape

[Ridgerunner]

I’m headed to the eastern cape in April of this year, wondering how bad ticks might be and what you take to deal with them.

 

[IdaRam]

I’m headed to the eastern cape in April of this year, wondering how bad ticks might be and what you take to deal with them.

Not sure about the tick situation in the eastern cape, but I sure do recommend Permethrin treating your clothes before you go. It is good for up to six or so washes so I spray my outer clothing and jackets & then let them dry for a day. Then I run them through the laundry. Permethein doesn’t have much smell, but if you pack them in your suitcase without washing them, you will smell it. I also spray my boots and hats.
I am a total believer in Permethrin. Some years here in Idaho we have a bumper crop of ticks. Even in those years I never have a problem with ticks on me when I use the stuff.
I cannot speak from experience, but folks who have had tick bite fever truly hope to never have it again! I will happily take their word for it

 

[JimP]

Yes, depending on where you are going to be at there are ticks.

I also recommend the Permethrin to treat your clothing, it works. If you are here in the US you can find it in the camping aisle of Walmart in a pump spray bottle. I also used some Deep Woods Off for when our PH told us that we were going where there were a lot more ticks.

On the effectiveness of Permethrin I sat down next to a ant bed under a rock and I then moved the rock. A little while later I looked down to see my boots covered in ants but that was as far as they would go. I had treated my pants and socks with the Permethrin and they wanted nothing to do with it.

 

[KAROO WILD Safaris]

Ticks aren’t a big problem in the Eastern Cape. As a rule, the coastal areas have more ticks. In the inland areas and the Karoo that get a few frost days, ticks are scarce. Use permethrin for the coastal areas, for the other areas just checking for ticks occasionally is sufficient.

 

[cls]

I’m headed to the eastern cape in April of this year, wondering how bad ticks might be and what you take to deal with them.

I've had tickbite fever and it's definitely not a lot of fun as others have said use permethrin on your clothes and boots just as a precaution it's just cheap insurance. Eastern Cape is a great place to hunt, enjoy.

 

[gillettehunter]

It was May when I was there and and got tick bite fever. So I beg to differ with Victor. You get in the bush after Kudu or Bushbuck and you'll find some ticks. Get with your Dr and get some Doxycycline to take with you. Any symptoms and start taking it.
For prevention you can't beat the pemethricin. Do a search of the threads here and you'll learn a bit more about it.
Bruce

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I treated my clothes with permethrin products (I used Sawyer.....it comes in a Yellow and Black bottle; I got mine from REI, but I see that Target carries it on line as well) when we went to Africa in 2014. I didn't have a problem with ticks on skin/clothing (I used a DEET product on my skin....can't remember the name of that one). Interestingly enough, I had a tick burrow into my boot, which wasn't treated with the permethrin......don't know if it was because of the texture, if there was some "odor" to the boot, or if it was just a retarded tick. Anyway, the tick was quickly pulled out on discovery and thrown into the fire pit. When we did have to go into the bush after a wounded gemsbok, the poor critter was covered with them when we finally found it.....I didn't have any on me, however. I would suggest the following: 1.) Use the long acting permethrin on your clothes 2.) use a pump spray on areas where clothes "meet", such as a waist line or where you tuck in your boots. 3.) when you go in the bush, button up.......make sure your boots are bloused and roll your sleeves down. 4.) do tick checks after every hunt, and 5.) get a prescription of Doxycycline prior to going and use it if necessary, as gillettehunter has suggested.
Good luck......looking forward to your report.

 

[Shootist43]

Dittos on the use of Permethrin. We use it whenever and wherever ticks might be a problem. If I expect a lot of them I "blouse" my boots i.e. stick the cuffs of my pants inside my boots to keep them on the outside. As I recall a tick will only crawl about 5" on permethrin treated clothing before dropping dead. Good stuff. They sell it if Africa but I'd get it in the states just because it is easier to find.