[rickkyw1720pf]

I just wanted to bring up something that is very important, and that is insect control. If the garbage isn't picked up with in a few week the bugs will start to multiply exponentially. I know many don't consider insects as a threat but they bring all types of diseases even now some can't be treated. Don't forget probably the worst disasters in mankind's history was brought on by diseases carrying insects such as fleas that killed 30-60 percent of Europe's population and 2/3 of London's. Insects can easily be kept at bay with some of the new insecticide and the best thing is it doesn't cost much when bought in industrial strengths. The army even uses some of these to treat clothing and tents and you can buy commercial treatment.

The two main insecticides I would recommend would be permethrin and bifenthrin Both products when bought in industrial strength can make the same product sold at Walmarts for a fraction of the cost. That can be used around the home and garden and even pet, Just be careful about using permethrin around cats. Also good to use around you food stores. This would also be a great barter item as you could make many 1-gal commercial size containers because commercial applications only use .03% of Bifenthrin and .25% to .5 % permethrin and industrial strength can be as high as 38.6% and 25.1% respectively.

Amazon.com: Bifen XTS 25.1% Bifenthrin Oil Base Multi Use Pest Control Insecticide Concentrate 32 oz quart 753985: Patio, Lawn & Garden

Amazon.com: Permethrin SFR 32 oz Bottle: Health & Personal Care

These products when sprayed will give several months of protection before need another application and clothing treated with permethrin will last several washings.
There is a lot of information on the internet.

 

[LunaticFringeInc]

Yes this has always figured heavy in my mind. Flee and Tick control would definitely be a problem here for sure. Luckily they generally dont pose too much of a hazard here though. Keeping some free range chickens on hand might help with the Tick issue though. Mosquitos would also be a monumental problem in my area. In fact I dont even want to think about what it will be like once all the deet has been used up!!! Last year was a pretty significant year for West Nile Virus here and thats just one of the nasties that Mosquitos can carry. In fact they resumed ariel spraying for them for the first time in like 40 years in several surrounding counties.

 

[Gallo Pazzesco]

Thanks Ricky - good stuff. Well worth taking into consideration. I know down here we have bugs that will eat the wax out of your ears if you allow them to get out of control. And, in the summertime, you can only hope to contain them because you'll never control them. It's a constant battle. I've seen fireants kill a newborn calf within moments of them coming out of their Mamma's stomach. I've seen good dogs ruined by fleas - then we try to rescue them, pick them up and take them to vets and find out the fleas have practically sucked all the blood out of them to the point where they were anemic.

Bugs are definitely something to consider. And in addition to everything you have listed we always try to keep a few bags of Seven Dust around. It works on the livestock and the veggie gardens in a pinch.

 

[Lucky Jim]

When camping I ALWAYS wear a balaclava at night in my sleeping bag to keep things out of my ears. Victorian explorer John Speke had no bala and a beetle crawled in his ear in Africa and began burrowing through his eardrum to get into his brain so in desperation he killed it by poking a small pointed knife in his ear. He flushed the bits of it out with water but was left permanently near-deaf in that ear.

PS- and stinging things can do damage too, here Bear Grylls takes a bee sting to the forehead while raiding their nest for honey, but the price is heavy-- his face balloons and he's temporarily half-blinded, but he took it well and said "If you risk nothing, you gain nothing"

 

[nadja]

One of the biggest threats to all of us would have to be mosquitoes. They transmit disease's from one to another in hours. Nile virus and Malaria are but a couple of fatal or near fatal things they carry

 

[Lucky Jim]

Yeah the early African explorers were laid up half the time with assorted tropical diseases including malaria, often delirious and having to be carried on stretchers half the time, Some had quinine but when it ran out they were up shit creek.
You've got to admire them because they never abandoned their expeditions by quitting, some of which took up to 3 years of trudging around.
The key to understanding their mindset is that they felt completely at home in jungle, swamps and deserts, and regarded it as their 'natural environment', underlined by the fact that David Livingstone asked for his heart to be buried in Africa.
Some of his diary entries while on expedition-

7th August 1871 -"ill and almost every step in pain"
11th August-"Rested half a day as I am still ill"
13th August- "I am suffering greatly"
16th August- "To Luama river. Very ill with bowels"
19th-20th August- "Rest from weakness"
29th August- "ill all night, and remain"
30th August- "Ditto, ditto"
23rd September- "I felt as if dying on my feet..almost every step was in pain..violent diarrhoea"
8th October- "The dust of the march caused ophthalmia...ill"