8 Steps that will Prevent Insect Bites on your Safari
Be smart and Fight the Bite on Safari-Prevent Insect Bites on Safari
Be Wise and Fight the Bite of Mosquitoes, Tsetse Flies, Ants, Flies, Gnats, and other Insects on your Safari
Fight the Bite on Safari-Prevent Insect Bites on Safari and avoid getting diseases. Practical steps to take will avoid getting bitten by Mosquitoes, Tsetse Flies, Horse Flies, Gnats, Ants on a Safari.
Stay well and healthy on your Safari and prevent diseases such as Malaria, Sleeping Sickness, Yellow Fever, West Nile Virus, Dengue Fever, and other conditions.
Fighting the Bite while on a Safari means that you have no annoying pain and itching resulting from being bitten by a mosquito, tsetse fly, fly, ant, or wasp. Even if a mosquito bites you, it does not mean that you automatically have malaria. None of our Clients have come down with an illness caused by a mosquito or Tsetse Fly Bite.
In the case of Malaria, you must be bitten by a female that is carrying malaria. Malaria is transmitted most often when you are in close quarters with others who have malaria. That is not the case on a Safari. Uganda also has the added protection, such as the Gorilla Highlands, where few mosquitoes are found due to the higher elevation.
There is nothing as annoying as a buzzing insect keeping you awake or buzzing around your head as you are trying to relax. Take the below measures and enjoy your safari by fighting the bite.
Though small in size, the Mosquito is one of the most annoying creatures you encounter on a safari in Africa. A buzzing mosquito can keep you awake all night. One reason that you should spray your room as you go to dinner in the evening. That is automatically done at most upmarket lodges. At most mid-range or lower quality lodges, you must request it or do it yourself.
Fight the Bite on Safari-Prevent Insect Bites on Safari. Prevention is the best way to fight getting attacked and bitten by insects on your safari. Below you will find practical ways to keep the joy in your safari. We advise you to take them.
Insects are everywhere, including in your home country. Yes, insects bite. However, it is the Safari Bug that keeps you coming back for another Safari.
8- Steps that Fight the Bite on Safari-Prevent Insect Bites
How do you Fight the Bite on Safari-Prevent Insect Bites on Safari? That is the question, and the answers are found below. Insect bites are often preventable if you follow the simple steps found here.
Do not forego your Yellow Fever Vaccination, and be sure to take an adequate Malaria Regimen such as Mefloquine.
1. Use a good Insect Repellent such as the Australian RID:
Prevention is better than treatment for diseases caused by insects. Buy a good mosquito repellent in your country containing a minimum of twenty percent Deet. You want a product that will last for at least four hours before you need to reapply it. Use it liberally before activities such as Hiking, Primate Tracking, Nature Walk, and Game Drives.
We recommend the highly effective Australian product RID. It is highly effective against insects such as Mosquitoes, including Tsetse flies. It is also effective against those annoying flies that you encounter during gorilla tracking in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla Park.
We gain nothing from RID, except that our clients who bought in online or in Australia are well pleased with the results from the protection that the product gives them on a Safari.
There are many products that you can buy, including some herbal or ingredients for home remedies. Many of them do not stand up to the test on Safari.
Using Insect Repellent on Safari
- How much Insect Repellent do I need to bring on Safari? Up to 4-day safari: 1 x bottle per person; Up to 8-day safari: 2 x bottles per person; Up to 12-day safari: 3 x bottles per person.
- Applying Insect Repellent: Apply insect to both your skin and clothing. For your face, spray the repellent into your hands and then apply it to your skin. Please do not get it into your eyes, and follow the instructions on the bottle. For your clothing, apply it all over your trousers, shirt, hat, and shoes. Please do not use it on undergarments.
- When should I re-apply Insect Repellent? Always re-apply insect repellent after physical activities, sweating, swimming, or toweling yourself down.
- Apply Insect Repellent Outdoors: It is best not to spray in enclosed areas.
- Please do not apply on open wounds or scratches: It is safest not to apply insect repellent on open wounds.
2. Use a Mosquito Net that covers your Bed:
A mosquito net will protect you while you sleep at your hotel or lodge. You do not need to bring one, the lodges that we use provide them. You need to inspect the net and make sure that there are no holes or tears in the net. If there are, hotels and lodges most often have a spare one or make the necessary repair. The last thing you want is to have a mosquito keep you awake all night.
All Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) contain pyrethroids – the only group of insecticides recommended by the World Health Organization for mosquito nets. Pyrethroids are widely used in public health because of their safety for humans, and they can kill mosquitoes at low doses on contact.
Do not sleep with your skin touching the netting since mosquitoes can bite you through the netting. Nets remain one of the best weapons in the fight against the mosquito bite on Safari.
3. Use the fan in your Room:
Mosquitoes do not like the wind that a fan produces and will move out of the way of the breeze it makes. Fans are not often talked about as weapons to fight the bite of mosquitoes. Nevertheless, they work quite well as such. Besides keeping mosquitoes at bay, fans create a cool breeze that you can enjoy.
Add the fan to the net over your bed, and you have double protection. Typically medium or high works quite well.
In rare instances, you might have a room with air-conditioning. At the same time, that is rare on a safari. There are some lodges in Uganda where it is available at a higher cost than standard rooms.
Then you do not need a fan since mosquitoes do not like the colder temperature. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest and Mgahinga Gorilla Park are at a higher location where you do not find many mosquitoes due to colder temperatures at night.
4. Wear Clothing that will protect you:
For the best protection against mosquito bites, wear the right clothing on your safari. Based on years of experience, we suggest that you cover as much skin as possible if you are going on a hike, nature walk, or primate trek. It will lessen the chance that tsetse flies and other mosquitoes will bite you. Besides, it will protect you from thorns, brush, and many other things.
Yes, Uganda is in Africa, and it is in Africa. You would think that it is unbearably hot here. Yet, Uganda is known for its temperate climate due to its elevation. A reason that you can fight the bite of insects by wearing long trousers, a long-sleeved shirt. One other thing, wear neutral colors such as Khaki. The reason is that bright colors attract tsetse flies. Blue Jeans are an exception and work out fine. You will not find Uganda Wildlife Rangers in shorts or short-sleeved shirts. They know best how to protect themselves from the bite of Insects.
5. Watch what you eat and Drink?
If you want to protect yourself from Insect bites, cut down on the input of sweet things. Stay away from candy bars, cakes, donuts, syrupy pancakes, or waffles. Cut your intake of sodas and beer.
The more sugar you have in your system, the more you will attract insects such as mosquitoes and wasps.
It might take some effort for those with a sweet tooth, but the result will be fewer bites.
Yes, what you eat and drink can make you more attractive to mosquitoes. That is the last thing that you want while you are on a Safari.
6. Avoid using Fragrances such as Perfumes-Colognes:
We suggest that while you are on the Safari Trail, don’t use your favorite perfume or cologne. Stay from scented deodorants, shampoos.
While you might find the smell of your favorite fragrance attractive, so do insects such as mosquitoes and wasp.
Flying insects are drawn to sweet things. Wildlife, on the other, is repelled by it. Animals will quickly notice your perfume on the trail or nature walk.
Save your perfume for an incoming, outgoing dinner in Entebbe or Kampala, but do not wear it while on the Safari Trail.
You will find that you will attract fewer insects and see more wildlife. Wearing fragrances defeats the reason that you came to Uganda for primates and wildlife. Wildlife and Primates on safari.
Keep your perfume for a time out in Entebbe or Kampala. While in the African Wild, please keep it in your suitcase.
7. Keep the Lights off:
Whether you are at home or in Uganda on a Safari, light attracts insects of all kinds. If you want to protect yourself from the bite, turn unnecessary lights off in your room. Keep the doors to your room or tented cottage closed. Close windows unless there is a screen, which is rare at most lodges or hotels in Uganda.
Many lodges use Kerosene Lamps along walkways, porches, and balconies. They do attract insects, but the heat from the lamp also kills them.
The reality is this. You might find fewer flying insects in Uganda at night than you find in your home country.
You can bring a Halogen Reading lamp, and that does not attract as many flying insects.
Turn the lights down low and fight the bite.
8. Insect Spray your Room: 
Many luxury lodges will spray your room with Doom as they turn down your beds for the night. Fewer mid-range lodges will do so. You can request to have your room sprayed as you have dinner. You can also purchase a spray can of Doom. The most popular insect spray in East Africa.
There are many other sprays on the market. However, Doom works best and leaves less of a chemical odor behind. The product works well on mosquitoes as well as other insects, including spiders.
You might see a gecko in your room up on the walls or ceiling. They are your helpers in the fight against mosquito bites.
Instead of spraying, you can use a citronella candle in your room, available locally in Supermarkets. An added benefit of spraying your room with doom is that it will also deal with spiders, ants, and other insects that you do not want around.
Will I get Bitten on my Safari in Uganda?
Fight the Bite on Safari-Prevent Insect Bites on Safari: There is no guarantee that you will not be bitten on a Safari. There is a good chance that you will. However, if you follow our suggestion, you will reduce the chances of being bitten while you are here in Africa.
As Bert McCoy said, ” If you stay long enough in paradise, you’re bound to get bitten by mosquitoes.”
Few, if any of our clients have complained about being bitten by mosquitoes or other insects.
Insects most often are lesser of an issue than they are made out to be. We will do whatever we can to make your time on Safari memorable and pleasant.
Enjoy the Pearl of Africa, a place that Winston Churchill referred to as paradise.
