Aircraft Applications of Insecticides in East Africa. IV.—The Application of Coarse Aerosols in Savannah Woodland containing the Tsetse Flies Glossina morsitans and G. swynnertoni

Extract

Attempts have been made to eradicate the tsetse flies G. morsitans and G. swynnertoni from two blocks of savannah woodland situated in the Central Province of Tanganyika.

The insecticides were applied from aircraft. Coarse aerosols were used, with mass median diameters of approximately 90 microns; droplet diameters varied from 4 microns to 250 microns approximately.

Eight applications of insecticides were made at intervals of two weeks. Each application was carried out at a nominal dosage of 0·25 gallons per acre, which was equivalent to 0·20 1b. per acre of the p, p'isomer of DDT or 0·03 lb. per acre of the γ isomer of BHC.

In the area treated with DDT it is possible that both species of flies were eradicated for a short period, but small populations were re-established there by immigrant flies. In the other block the reduction was not so great, but it is not considered that this was due to a lesser effectiveness of the BHC, but to a combination of circumstances that led to less effective applications.

Some general observations are made upon the use of aircraft for this sort of work, particularly in connection with the effect of meteorological conditions.