Aircraft Applications of Insecticides in East Africa. I.—Preliminary Experiments in Areas supporting Populations of the Tsetse Fly (Glossina palpalis (R.-D.))

Abstract

Preliminary experiments are described of applications from aircraft of coarse sprays and coarse aerosols. The experiments were carried out over dense forest areas containing the tsetse fly G. palpalis.At dosages of 0·2 lb. per acre of the p,p'isomer of DDT, or 0·032 lb. per acre of the γ isomer of BHC, both the sprays and the aerosols were relatively ineffective, and significant kills were obtained only with the aerosols.The sprays were ineffective not only because they did not penetrate the canopy, but also because the nominal dosage was in any case too small to produce lethal deposits upon vegetation.Much of the aerosol was filtered out by the upper layers of the canopy. The meteorological conditions in the area were also unsuitable for the application of aerosols, and much of the insecticide did not reach the canopy, but was blown away from the treated area.It is concluded that aircraft applications of insecticide against G. palpalis are wasteful of insecticide, and would be very costly if substantial reductions in fly population were to be obtained. If insecticides are to be of value in such areas, ground methods of applying them would be almost certainly more effective, and less costly.