BootsnAll Travel Community

My wife & I are traveling to northern Tanzania and Kenya (Masai Mara) in October 2008. I would appreciate any comments and/or advice concerning unfriendly insects we might encounter and how to discourage them. (Deet?)

If you will be going into Western Serengeti you will encounter the Teste (although that particular specious does not carry river blindness). Wear olive colored clothing as the darks and light attract it. They bite taking chunks of flesh with them and do not die after one swat. Usually stepping on them or swat and grind will get them.

On lake Victoria the mosquitoes are agressive so Deet, and long sleeves are a must.

Good Luck.

Around Lake Victoria you also encounter massive clouds of billions of tiny little gnats. They hover over the water and in the towns like clouds of smoke. They're gross to walk through, but otherwise harmless.

Lots of spiders, but I had no bad encounters with them, except when they moved into the fly of my tent overnight...

you may also encounter mosquitos around masai mara but i don't recall it being too bad, i did see a fair number of scorpions (small) so be sure to shake out sleep sheets/bags and shoes before using! sounds like a fun trip!

masai mara - i remember lots of spiders, scorpians and safari ants (do not get in their way - they are huge and bite and it hurts!) so just make sure you close your tent up really well and if you're going with a tour company they usually have those big semi-permanent tents and I tied a mosquito net up inside it...to make me feel safer. can't say it would do much to deter a scorpian but hey it made me feel better!

Hi there!

I had no particular problems with bugs during my camping safari in Tanzania. However, we did find a discusting little creature under my bed... While helping undoing my tent, my guide was bitten by a scorpion that was hiding under there, among the sleeping bag pouch, tent pouch, etc.
Thankfully, it wasn't poisonous... but it did REALLY hurt him for several hours...
Apparently they are pretty rare.
(I'm sorry, I don't mean to scare you but you did ask and it did happen)
Just make sure you zip up your tent at all times (if that's where you'll be sleeping)

Don't worry and have fun!

Good advice above. As there are ants everywhere, I had the unfortunate encounter of walking through lots of ants, which they then somehow got into my pants. Others were laughing while we yelled and tried to stop the stinging/burning sensation over our legs. Funny, maybe, but watch out for them.

Most bugs I encountered were while staying at a permanent tented camp at Mto Wa Mbu (which ironically translates to Mosquito River).

After dark mossies were terrible, so DEET-based repellant for sure.

There was also an infestation of safari ants with a trail right across one of the footpaths. My guide was adamant not to step into their path.

They each have a nasty bite and they basically don't stop until they kill whatever's got in their way.

Also had some Tsetse fly issues in the national parks, particularly Tarangire and Lake Manyara. The buggers can bite you through your clothes, and god they hurt!

So yes, lighter colours, and insect-repelling fabrics are good. And spray yourself silly with repellant to help as well, though it's not totally reliable against Tsetses.

Anti-malarial drugs are also a very good idea if you're doing safari type stuff. My doctor prescribed Malarone. Even then, avoiding being bitten is priority. No anti-malarial is perfect!

Despite numerous fly bites and mossie bites, I haven't had any sign of sleeping sickness or malaria, and it's been 6 months since I was there so I think I'm safe now ;-)