Aircraft applications of insecticides in East Africa

Summary

In the North Block at Chungai, comprising about 11 sq. miles of thorn savannah and thicket in Central Province, Tanganyika, an Auster J5G aircraft was used between July 1959 and March 1960 to apply a 2·5 per cent. solution of dieldrin in oil at the rate of 0·125 gal. per acre in an attempt to eradicate Glossina morsitans Westw. and G. pallidipes Aust. Eight applications were made at approximately four-weekly intervals. Swath width was 55 yd., and the aircraft emitted the insecticide as a coarse aerosol of volume median diameter 50–60μ as it flew in both directions over the block.

The operation suffered delays, and three applications were incomplete to varying degrees. Kills of G. morsitans per application appeared to be 85 per cent. or higher, but the final reduction of 99·5 per cent. could theoretically have been attained with consecutive mortalities of only 65 per cent. It is suggested that this discrepancy may be due to the higher lethal dose required by pregnant females. G. pallidipes was also reduced by 99·5 per cent. Numbers of fly were reduced sufficiently for large-scale settlement with cattle, which should complete the work of exterminating the fly.

The experiment is compared with that of the previous year in the same block, using γBHC, which reduced fly catches by less than 50 per cent. It is concluded that a combination of reduced swath width, greater volume dosage, more lethal insecticide and smaller lethal drop, together with improved flying technique and the more reliable performance of the disseminating equipment, was responsible for the improved result. It is thought that without delays, interruptions, incomplete applications and reinfestation, even better results would be obtained.

This was the cheapest and one of the most successful aerial operations carried out against savannah tsetse. Costs actually over the ground were £301 per sq. mile; incidental costs due to the locality of operations were £66 per sq. mile. There is little chance of reducing the costs of flying directly, but economies are possible by the use of other insecticides or, more probably, by more efficient dispensing equipment.