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Insectshield.com treats your linens and clothing (not underwear) for a pretty penny. They do a very neat job, each item except socks comes back neatly folded with a sewn-on InsectShield label inside the item. They say it lasts 70 washings (as long as the treated clothing it sells) but probably closer to 30 IMHO and reading.
When you self-treat cloth it only lasts thru a few washings. IMHO getting your bed sheets treated is a wise investment and I always wear a treated T shirt here in tick country.
The permethrin sold in feed stores has some oil in it, the stuff sold by Insectshield and others to spray clothing does not, FWTIW. Around the web, people have done treatment in many different ways, boiling etc. One person reported using much too high a concentration in treating his pants and had resulting leg sores.
I forget the recommended concentration of permethrin in the treating solution, it is around 3%, but check.
Info I’ve seen in only one place: “The method that permethrin treated clothing LOSES its effectiveness is friction, removing the chemical molecules from the surface of the clothing, during washing and drying. So don’t wash often and air dry.”
I hope this article will be followed by discussing prevention and treatment for pets and farm animals, especially those that can be shared with humans. I was subject to cutaneous worms acquired from skin contact with contaminated soil. My understanding is that this was caused by animal feces, although none was visibly present. Once diagnosed, it took almost 48 hours to obtain the incredibly expensive medication to eliminate them. This was in normal times with insurance.
This would be a great topic for a vet to address. Some pets and farm animals, like cats and rabbits, are extremely sensitive to medications. I would imagine chickens, sheep, goats, and dogs have their own peculiarities as well.
If you follow the CDC guidelines on Lyme, you will likely end up suffering physical and neurological effects until you die. Lyme is all over the mid-Atlantic and has been for years. Most doctors are not lyme-literate and the testing is virtually useless unless you catch it right away. I have a friend who died from the effects of untreated lyme. Many in our lyme association have recounted the changes in personality among humans and animals who are infected. And it is not just lyme, but other tick diseases. There is a lovely version where your body will not process red meat. It is not here according to the CDC, but it is here and if your doctor is not aware of it, then you are in trouble. I picked up my lyme infection 10 years ago in my back yard on the Delmarva Peninsula. Mine was untreated for years. And I did not understand what was happening to me until I saw a presentation on a local TV show. I attended a meeting where much was explained. I got to see a lyme-literate doctor who treated me and many of my symptoms have either gone away or at least been reduced. Know what is happening in your area.
I worked with a veterinarian who had the no-red meat disease, I forget the name, acquired from ticks here in the US.
Alpha-Gal is the name of the allergy (induced by Alpha-Gal sugar molecules) and it is spread by the Lone Star tick (not to be confused with the a-sexual Asian Longhorned tick). See link:
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2018/06/25/621080751/red-meat-allergies-caused-by-tick-bites-are-on-the-rise
You are sounding the alarm, Buck. Good.
I have been infected with Lyme disease four times. Only only once did have the rash. The joint and muscle symptoms are more reliable.
Folks, if you are in any region that has tick of any kind, take precautions and ask a trusted person to do a thorough tick-check before you go to sleep. A bright flashlight is indispensable for this. SInce my sweet spouse has conducted routine tick-checks on me, I have had no Lyme disease. We have had many times with no tick found and know the time we slack off could be the one that the tick get us. Absolute vigilance is essential.
Carry on
Very informative article, appreciate your writing it for us.
Lyme disease is also contracted in wooded areas of northern Midwestern states. Because of its lack of prevalence, it’s hard to find medical care if you don’t present the classic symptoms and if you live in an area without the disease. My rash wasn’t the classic bullseye and I couldn’t get them to believe it was from some type of bug bite I got on vacation. Also important to note are other infections -called co-infections – one may also be infected with at the same time.
We use Permethrin as Pest Control and yes we buy it from a local feed store. It is great stuff!
Two anti-parasitic remedies that come to mind from our experience, are chlorine dioxide, and mimosa pudica (sensitive plant) seed. Chlorine dioxide is especially effective for veterinary applications. Mimosa pudica seed is one of the most gentle and effective in humans–paralyzing the parasites, so that they are swept out in the feces.
Also helpful is a mixture of bitter herbs, including walnut hull, wormwood, hyssop, and others.
These herbs should be taken immediately before eating, the hungry parasites get an unexpected and crippling meal. On the other hand, chlorine dioxide is better with food on the stomach.
To deal with a case of worms, it is often necessary to continue the treatment consistently, at every meal, for 1-3 months.
These ideas are based on experimentation, but have not been “FDA approved” or otherwise certified.
Another important topic, and important educational contribution. Understanding risk on many levels is key to informed and reasonable situational assessment, and the prevention of illness and injury. This is important at any time, but even more so if access to health care services and treatments is limited (or nonexistent).
Lots of relevant information. Thank you.
Mosquitos can be dangerous.
While fishing at some remote lakes in Canada, a fishermen experienced a serious reaction to a bite.
His wedding band became a tourniquet. Thanks to an emergency room 2 hours away and a physician with the group, things turned out well.
I am going to purchase some of those silicone wedding bands for future trips.
I also like the “insect shield” recommendation.
It would seem that having pets and other animals is dangerous to your health. Even visiting friends and family who have animals is dangerous.
Livestock & pets become an attractant for all kinds of nasties, but there are methods of handling. If you have domestic animals or wildlife, there will be parasites seeking a free ‘meal’. We have always been pro-active with our animals. Frontline on all dogs & cats, (pretty cheap thru online, Sam’s, Costco, etc., plus methods listed in treatments/proactive measures in this article and replies. We use Frontline on our LGD’s.
This is from a year ago:
https://www.mvtimes.com/2019/04/19/asian-longhorn-tick-continues-northward-march/
https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/longhorned-tick/index.html
Good info!
Thanks for a very informative article.
Back in my college entomology class 1,000 years ago the TA said the best place to get bed bugs for our insect collections was in bird nests. So I just googled whether chickens can get bed bugs and got this interesting hit. I had no idea they were so prolific and so easy to transfer to our homes.
https://extension.msstate.edu/publications/information-sheets/what-do-about-bed-bugs-poultry-houses
St. Funogas linked to a worthwhile article to read. … From the article linked, =
“Bed bugs move from place to place in people’s belongings—for example, in boxes, bags, and luggage. They are extremely difficult to eliminate and can survive for months without taking a blood meal. Control of bed bugs is made more challenging by the fact that they are becoming >resistant (immune) to the ~>pyrethroid pesticides commonly used by most pest control personnel.” …
“Keep in mind that using pyrethroids like Tempo® (cyfluthrin) and permethrin >may >not kill bed bugs. If not, try using a non-pyrethroid pesticide such as Durashield® (chlorpyrifos) or RaVap® (chlorpyrifos + dichlorovos) in the houses. RaVap® can be used with chickens present in the house (check the label), but Durashield® can only be used when the houses are empty and must be mixed and sprayed by a certified pest control person.
Also, please note that Durashield® may not be on the “approved chemicals list” for some poultry companies. Make sure the label directions are followed when using these and other pesticides.”
I had a friend that was infected with rocky mountain spotted fever. His doctor suggested that if bitten by a tick. Remove the tick stick it to a piece of tape, place in a plastic bag and put in the freezer. Keep it a least 3 weeks. That way if symptoms develop you can produce the tick for testing instead of going thru a spinal tap
For years, I’ve stocked Ivermectin (available at all Tractor Supply stores), not cheap but not terribly expensive either (avail in different sizes), RID shampoo for lice, Permethrin, both spray (again, avail at Tractor supply) and cream we got by Rx.
A couple other items we stock are Hornet spray (not for bees) and fly poison, fly paper and strips (one year +- shelf life, dries up).
Re: mosquitos and flying pest, I have a mosquito bar (bed net) for every family member along with headnets (the good military issue style w/hoops inside so you can wear while sleeping, around $10-12ea. on ebay or Amz), lots of mosquito coils which work real well, citronella candles and I’ve planted a few creosote plants (mosquito plant) spaced around the yard and don’t forget a roll or two of window screening for repairs. We also have Tiki-Torches for summer yard fun and use citronella fuel in them.
One item not mentioned although they definitely fall into the pest category is rodents. We have lots of mouse traps, rat traps and even mouse poison (which we don’t use because of pets but would if we had to)
Most of these items are stored in a large see-through tote clearly marked ‘Pest Control’ and ‘Poison’
Again, we don’t use these items, especially the poison’s on a regular basis, these items for the most part are only to be used during a long-term ‘Shummer Hits The Fan’ event when there is no other recourse and as a last resort.
This is good advice.
And J.S.R., I really appreciate your “wakeup call” last two paragraphs: These lethal weapons don’t make for exciting television fare or entertaining dinner discussion. But having several layers of protection and defense against silent and nearly invisible assassins bent on your destruction is always a good idea.
Carry on
Thank you, everyone, for some really helpful and relevant comments.
I will say one thing about parasite control…. “IVERMECTIN”. We keep it on hand and use it to control internal and external parasites on our livestock.
IVERMECTIN has been compared to Penicillin as a “wonder drug”.
Discovered in the late-1970s, the pioneering drug ivermectin, a dihydro derivative of avermectin—originating solely from a single microorganism isolated at the Kitasato Intitute, Tokyo, Japan from Japanese soil—has had an immeasurably beneficial impact in improving the lives and welfare of billions of people throughout the world. Originally introduced as a veterinary drug, it kills a wide range of internal and external parasites in commercial livestock and companion animals. It was quickly discovered to be ideal in combating two of the world’s most devastating and disfiguring diseases which have plagued the world’s poor throughout the tropics for centuries. It is now being used free-of-charge as the sole tool in campaigns to eliminate both diseases globally. It has also been used to successfully overcome several other human diseases and new uses for it are continually being found. This paper looks in depth at the events surrounding ivermectin’s passage from being a huge success in Animal Health into its widespread use in humans, a development which has led many to describe it as a “wonder” drug.
There are few drugs that can seriously lay claim to the title of ‘Wonder drug’, penicillin and aspirin being two that have perhaps had greatest beneficial impact on the health and wellbeing of Mankind. But ivermectin can also be considered alongside those worthy contenders, based on its versatility, safety and the beneficial impact that it has had, and continues to have, worldwide—especially on hundreds of millions of the world’s poorest people. Several extensive reports have been published detailing the events behind the discovery, development and commercialization of the avermectins and ivermectin (22,23-dihydroavermectin B), as well as the donation of ivermectin and its use in combating Onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. However, none have concentrated in detail on the interacting sequence of events involved in the passage of the drug into human use.
Ivermectin has continually proved to be astonishingly safe for human use. Indeed, it is such a safe drug, with minimal side effects, that it can be administered by non-medical staff and even illiterate individuals in remote rural communities, provided that they have had some very basic, appropriate training.
K-Min, made by Daily Mfg Co., is a natural product in capsule form that can be taken to eliminate intestinal worms. It contains colloidal calcium and diatomaceous earth.
Keeping your brush and grass cut short near your buildings both help reduce tick issues and reduce fire hazards (not likely to have Fire Department SHTF).
Guinea Hens are tick eating machines. With little care they will happily keep your neighborhood nearly tick free. They are also great alarm systems when predators are around your chicken coops.