A trio of instruments for tsetse control
1) Restricted application: a reason for restraint?

credit: Steve Torr, NRI

One of the best-known techniques of farmer-based control of tsetse is the application of insecticides - pyrethroids - to cattle. However, the method of application has generally involved 'whole body' treatments applied at monthly intervals, which can prove expensive or require a plentiful and guaranteed supply of water. Additional concerns from researchers include the effect on dung beetles due to the contamination of dung, and the impact on tick populations, which can prevent young cattle from developing a natural immunity to tick-borne diseases. From research in Zimbabwe, the solution seems to lie in the restricted amount of insecticide used on each animal and, in theory, it appears that not all animals need to be treated. For G. pallipides, it has been found that the flies mainly feed on the belly and the legs of cattle. By minimising treatment to these areas, application intervals can be doubled and yet total insecticide use, compared to whole body applications, can be reduced to around 40 per cent.

The advantage with this technique is that existing formulations of pyrethroids can still be used and applied by the farmer with existing equipment, be it a paintbrush or sprayer. The current limitation of the technology is that is has only been tested in Zimbabwe and only on G. pallipides although collaboration has begun on tests in other regions with other species of tsetse. As Glyn Vale of Natural Resources Institute (NRI) in the UK, concludes, "This is not a new idea. In fact many people are already using restricted application for ticks but we are simply trying to point out that with a slight tweaking of the application, farmers could save an enormous amount of money and still get good control of tsetse."

For more information:
Natural Resources Institute

Note: Proceedings of the workshop and further information on the three technologies discussed will be available in a printed proceedings and multi-media CD-Rom. For a free copy, please email: ahp@vet.ed.ec.uk