Post-TSHTF questions for everyone

[cryhavoc]

As I was reviewing my stores, I suddenly had some questions for myself I couldn't answer'

LICE:
- I haven't prepared for 'it' - never had it myself, kids either(so far...), so I haven't prep for it. How common is it? Are there any 'home remedies' that work?

YEAST:
- Mine is 'just outdated' by a month or so...can I still use it? Is there any way to make it from scratch post - TEOTWAWKI?

VERMIN:
- How bad will mice and rats really be 'post - T'? I found a half dozen spring-traps, and a few boxes of D-Con, but that's it for those preps....what is everyone else doing?

B.O.B. Tool Kit?:
- We all have a BOB of some sort or another I imagine - but does anyone have a BOB tool kit prepared? I noticed my standard tool box in the garage and wondered just how effective it would be if I had to 'grab and go'...I was found wanting. If you've got one set up -post the contents list.

These aren't the most glamorous subjects - but.....

Thanks.

cryhavoc

 

[ARMY RANGER]

they have shampoo for lice at just about every phramacy or you can use vaseline applied to your head ,it smothers them .Get some cats for the mice but catch the rats they are good eaten if you can get by the thought of it.

 

[optimistic pessimist]

Lice: tea tree oil works, or just plain shaving your head I suppose....

Yeast-- I have used post dated dry yeast-- it still works-- not quite as effective, tastes the same, but you can still get a little rise. The older, the less it will rise.

Vermin- Extreme cleanliness, blocking all holes for vermin to get in

BOB tool kit- hammer, portable shovel, scissors or knife (or both), spoon and fork, something that stores flat for water, water purifyer, tarps, rope, magnifying glass, matches and lighter, mirror, some dryer lint (for starting fires), chapstick (comfort!)

 

[Christian for Israel]

yeast can be made from potato water (what's left over after you boil the potatoes), flour and sugar. a recipe should be easy to find with google. for vermin i make chlorine gas and fumigate. simply mix equal parts ammonia and bleach, but be warned, the gas is deadly to humans as well so precautions need to be taken.

 

[okie medicvet]

vaseline for the scalp..baby oil for all the rest of the hair..then get a shower cap. don't wash everything..just put it in plastic bags for a few weeks, then hot water wash and wear those few outfits for a few weeks. keep the gunk on yer head for 24 hrs straight. If you follow all the instructions you will never have a REinfest.

I used to live in an apt complex in Fresno where it was a HUGE problem..finally gave up just treating my kids every few months, and every other week, would give them a vaseline/baby oil overnight treatment just as a precaution.

 

[Trek]

For lice I've stocked up on Tea Tree Oil (melaleuca alternifolia), fine tooth combs, sharp scissors, and plenty of pony tail holders.

For vermin I've stocked up plenty of cat food to attract the stray's if my own kitty can't handle the job on his own.

For yeast this thread pretty much tells you all you could possibly want to know.

For a B.O.B. Tool Kit I'm probably way too dependant upon my leatherman tool as a starting point. I have too many gadgets and need to weed some out, so I look forward to reading the replies you receive on this thread!

 

[Burbsteader]

Lice-
mayo. Seriously. Works great, even gets rid of cradle cap on babies. Saturate your hair down to the scalp with mayo and make sure to get your entire hairline, around your ears, back of your neck and your eyebrows as well. I found it easiest to cover my hair then with a showercap and then a towel around my neck. Don't wear good clothes or sit on good furniture. Keep the mayo on for a couple hours and let me tell ya, your hair will never be shinier!

Tea tree oil is supposed to repel the little buggers. Mix a couple drops into your shampoo is what I was told. Incidentally, lice prefer clean hair and certain hair types. The eggs will stick better. My youngest and I are their favorite type while my oldest and my DH are nearly 100% lice resistant.

The hardest part about a lice epidemic during a SHTF type crisis is the work it will take cleaning the house, clothing, bedding, furniture, etc. THAT will be hard!

Yeast- Sourdough, great stuff! Learn to use it now.

Vermin-I live in the city and I don't approve of outdoor cats because the sheer volume of city cats decimate populations of snakes (they eat bugs and rodents) and many small birds (many of which eat BUGS). However, rural barn cats can be useful as are certain small dog breeds. It's a good idea to have plenty of traps of various sorts, depending on the type of vermin you are talking about. Mice, rats, weasels, skunks, raccoons, etc. Important not to wipe out every snake alive but just the ones that are dangerous.

Can't tell you much about a toolkit.
Mine mainly consists of a hammer, my Leatherman and my husband. Not in that order. Usually I just rely on the husband first as he has his own hammer and leatherman anyway.
I should pay more attention to this obviously.

 

[Hansa44]

About Tea Tree Oil. Make sure you can deal with the odor BEFORE you use it in your hair. It is very powerful and the smell can hang on a long time.

 

[Fuzzychick]

Tea Tree Oil is amazing stuff!!!! If you find you have laryngitis or sorethroat, toss a few drops into some steaming water and inhale...amazing. As far as infections of the skin go, BTDT, better than antibiotic ointment. I'm not saying walk away from the tried and true, but it does have great medicinal properties!

 

[Caplock50]

Lice? Ya got a kerosene lamp don't ya? Well, just every other day, rub a couple of large drops of kerosene into your hair real good. Lice problem solved.

Sourdough will solve the yeast shortage.

Your tool kit should include a half-hatchet(hammer head on one side; hatchet on the other), heavy-duty wire cutters(makes 'nails' out of sections of wire),a good pair of channellock pliers, and at least two different sizes of cresent wrenches(or a good 'old fashioned knucklebuster' wrench. Oh, also include a good sized wrecking bar. Me, personally, I will be including a medium-sized sledgehammer, a pick and a shovel, a rough-cut hand saw, as many files(of many different sizes)as I can and as many whetrocks as I can. I guess I'll also throw in my hacksaw and extra blades, and a cold chisel or two. That should handle just about any situation that I think I might encounter.

Oh, and here's something else good about the kerosene. Place a piece of glass next to the flame on your lamp so it collects soot. Scrape the soot into a small bowl(it'll take quite a lot) and mix with a fast evaporating liquid and you've got primitive ink for writing in your journal. You *do* have a journal, don't you?

 

[Airborne Falcon]

Hadn't thought too much about lice ... just staying clean helps. I know that. If it gets so dirty that there is a lice infestation out here in the country - then things are major major bad.

Yeast ... you can go au naturale on that one. Or do like CFI says to, I know that works.

Vermin ... traps, cats, and keep things sealed. Where exactly are you planning on bugging out to havoc? Midevil Europe or somewhere? You've mentioned two major problems that only city folk will have IMHO. I may be wrong.

Now, for the BOB. I've got them everywhere. I've got them in packs, big and small. I've got converted Dewalt boxes turned into Bug Out Kits. I've got them stowed away in compartments in the SUVs, truck, etc. And they are all basically the same thing. First Aid, water purification and filters. Fishing stuff. Fire starting stuff. Shelter. Light. Communications in my bigger bags. Knives. Handguns, et al, in some of the bigger ones. Extra ammo. Needles and thread. Hacksaw blades. Blister stuff (I am big on Mole Skin.) Compass and maps in some of the bigger ones. Un-lubed extra large rubbers. Stockings, like LEGGS, the kind you can buy for a nickle at Wally World in different colors (they make excellent strainers, tourniguets (sp) and support for the rubbers if you have to use them to carry water.) Small rolls of duct tape. Para chord. The kits are all basically the same. One or two have some crackers and bullion, stuff like that. Energy bars, whatever. But they are all pretty compact, easy to grab, and readily available.

You go to any contractor and ask him to save his leftover tool boxes for you .... the kind that hold sawz-alls and drills are the best. I repaint mine O.D. green and pack them full of stuff. Like small hardcases, they hold a lot of stuff and they have little compartments in them meant for batteries and cords and the like. They are waterproof, they float, and they are lightweight.

I use velcro strapping, (cheap at the crafts store) to secure everything inside the upper and lower halves.

They can take a licking and keep on ticking too.

Russ

 

[Jumpy Frog]

Love the tea tree oil. Best stuff for almost anything it seems. Just sent 4oz to a adopted US Soldier in Iraq. Add in a lice comb.

As for the tool kit for BOB.......I use a tool roll bag. It rolls up and ties shut and is secure. I have rachets, push drill with bits, driver sets, hex wrenchs, spanners, hammer, etc.

 

[Jmurman]

Lice...wow this takes me back.

When I was stationed in Alalska during my military service I was a medic at Elmendorf AFB Hosp. This hosp was also a VA hosp. We would treat the vets who decided for whatever reason to live out in the bush. It seems that every 4 or 6 months these guys would come into town and purchase supplies, get drunk and laid, then head back out.

There is nothing worse that tryiing to kill lice or crabs in the bush without proper medical treatment. Kero won't get it...buy a few bottles of Rid or have a Dr give you a script for the medical strength lice killer.

 

[Terriannie]

I think lice, fleas, bed bugs will be a BIG problem if TSHTF. There will be no commercial products available so this thread is good for alternate solutions.

Caplock50, I wonder about the kerosene though. Will it create a burning sensation on the head if left on for a long time?

Christian for Israel your clorine/ammonia solution sounds very potent and you say it creates a gas does that mean you just mix it and set it down in an open bowl in a closed room letting the fumes do the rest? (With us out of coarse.)

For bed bugs I agree that cleanliness is the best and I have a fear that cleanliness will be a big problem. Might be a good idea to stock up big time with bleach.

 

[Just a Nurse 2]

Head lice - Nits can be removed for aesthetic reasons by soaking hair in white vinegar x 30 - 60 min & using fine toothed nit comb to mechanically remove nits. With heavy involvement a haircut may be preferred but not essential. Soak combs & brushes in hot water w/pediculicide shampoo x 15 min, Permethrin may temporarily exacerbate pruritis, erythema & scalp edema, burning/stinging/tingling/numbness are usually mild & transient
Pubic - sexual partners within the last month S/B treated.
Pets need NOT be treated
Insecticides on furnishings not recommended

Conditions Affecting Choice of Therapy
Location of infestation - do not use pediculocides near eyes!!
Permethrin contraindicated w/chrysanthemum allergy
Lindane contraindicated in neonates, young children

1st Line Drug(s)

Head - Permethrin 1% cream OTC (NIX), Malathion 0.5% lotion Rx (Ovide), Pyrethrins 0.33% OTC
Pubic - Permethrin 1% cream OTC, Lindane 1% shampoo (Kwellada), Pyrethrins 0.33% shampoo/gel OTC
Of eyelashes/eyebrows - Occlusive ophthalmic ointment (eg Lacrilube OTC) to eyelid margins BID x 10 days

Complementary Therapies
Body lice - pediculocides not necessary - improve hygiene, launder clothing & dry at very hot temp to kill lice
Treat room - wash & dry w/heat bedding, personal articles & stuffed animals
If items cannot be washed, dry clean or put in plastic bag x 2 weeks. Vacuum room thoroughly
Soak combs & brushes in disinfectant solution for 1 hour or hot water (65 C) 5 - 10 min

Plan/Management, incl. monitoring and F/U
Pubic F/U for other sexually transmitted diseases

Reexamine 7 days after 1st tx for evidence of persistent infection
2 bottles permethrin may be needed for thick or long hair - hair must be thoroughly soaked

Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Prevention

Prophylactic treatment of bed partners
Examination and possible treatment of household & other close contacts

Pregnancy/Nursing Considerations
Lindane not for use on infants, toddlers, pregnant/lactating women
Permethrin - Pregnancy category B - no adequate studies in pregnant women to determine safety, not known if transmits to breast milk safe & effective in pediatric population > 2 months of age
geriatric does not appear to be increased risk

I'm sure with some experimentation you could come up with a home grown solution, as permethrin comes from the mighty chrysanthemum (hence it cannot be used by people with an allergy to chrysanthemum.)

That said, I couldn't tell you if it was a particular variant of chrysanthemum, or if any would do, or how one would go about preparing an effective home concoction.

Lice have been a nuisance to humans since ancient times. They have thrived almost wherever humans have been in prolonged close contact with each other. One notable exception to this has been in areas where the pesticide DDT is in widespread use. In the United States, for a period of about 30 years, lice outbreaks were uncommon. Since DDT was banned in 1973, the number of cases of lice has risen steadily. Today, there are about 12 million cases per year in the United States alone.

Suz

 

[bobfall2005]

lice-kerosene, or you can stock up on the commerical treaments.
Bob

 

[Deena in GA]

We had never had lice in this house - and my oldest is 29 - until my granddaughter went to school. We'd always homeschooled (still do except for her) and it wasn't a problem. However, once she went she brought it home and here on a regular basis. We've tried most of the remedies listed above and nothing worked. The ONLY thing that has worked for us is once we know she has them again is to comb through her hair a couple of times a day for a week with a flea comb. There have been times when I didn't know she had them until a number of the kids were already infected so I just use the flea comb on each of them (washing it in alcohol between kids) and the problem is solved.

I store my yeast in the freezer and it seems to last indefinitely. Of course, if power is out long-term, I'll need to know how to get it or have sourdough starter going continuously.

 

[ofuzzy1]

Lice: -- Never had them but know a few folks who did.
DON'T shave the hair off, treatment is available.
Please don't use anything flammable. Any veggie oil will work, it smothers the bugs. Tea Tree Oil is potent but effective addition to the veggie oil. Mayo does work, I just can't see it on my head. :P

Bed Bugs: In the old days; the feet of beds were placed in a pan of oil. And the covers were kept of the bed. Look into getting Diatomecous Earth [DE] it is a non-toxic micro fine dust the grinds the joints of bugs open and they dry out.

Vermin: No holes from them to get into your house, good luck. Wrap the skins of snakes around the holes entering your house; Plumbing, Electrical ...

BOB- Tools -- Leatherman is a great start. Russ and Caplock have some great ideas.
Burbsteader -- Hubby....

 

[amarilla]

My missionary friend I used to send tea tree oil to for lice problems from the locals, said after a while it makes your hair fall out if you have to use it continually.

A

 

[Jeanne51]

This is a good question. Icky bugs could be a serious problem post STHF. I have a bottle of RID on hand just in case. I have Malathion and Sevin I got from a garden supply store. You need a sprayer to mix them with water. Keep a couple of cans of wasp and hornet spray on hand. Last summer we had some nasty looking wasps around here. I also keep the sticky tape for flies, and fly spray.

 

[FREEBIRD]

Might want to re-think Rid---the lice have gotten resistant to it around here. We'd use it and when we were done there were NO dead lice---they were still moving---ick!!

Mayonnaise works---we used it with great success, on our pediatrician's orders. Three hours under the shower cap. Very important to vacuum floors, rugs couches and the inside of the car and to treat these things with anti-lice spray. Clothes washed and run through HOT dryer. Pillows run through HOT dryer for 30 minutes. Sheets and blankets washed and dried in HOT dryer. Stuffed animals bagged for 30 days. Hairbrushes, combs, hair clips boiled for wo minutes or bagged for 30 days. We learned to be very thorough or we got to do it all over again. God save us from crawling critters.

 

[Windy Ridge]

I buy Fleischman's yeast in 1 lb. foil packages. I keep it in the fridge with the opening clamped shut with 2 clothespins. It is 8 months past the date stamped on it. It is as good as when I first opened it. Maybe in another 8 months I will use it up and open the next package which will be past its date by then. The large packages are MUCH cheaper than the little ones.

Windy Ridge

 

[Trek]

About those commercial lice treatments...

My daughter's class was loaded with lice. We were treating everyone in our home, the house from top to bottom, and our vehicles every two weeks because my daughter kept becoming reinfected while in school. The school FINALLY decided to treat the classroom only once my daughter, myself, and several other children in the class started exhibiting signs of neurological damage from the chemicals. It only took three applications spread out over the course of six weeks to strongly effect my daughter and my neurological systems.

In TSHTF scenario... it's highly unlikely that you will get everyone on board with properly treating the lice condition. You will need to do multiple treatments. These commercial lice treatments are not only becoming ineffective due to the lice developing resistance, but they are dangerous to humans and pets as well.

Too bad we don't seem to develop the neurological strength these lice have today!

Since using tea tree oil hair products... we have not had any lice coming home on our kid's heads. Another niece of mine was repeatedly becoming infested with lice thanks to her mom taking her over to a friend's home loaded with the critters. Since I purchased and gave her a children's shampoo with tea tree oil in it, she has not had a single nit or bug even though she is still over at that friend's home all the time and all the kids in that home are constantly infested with lice.

The tea tree oil is NOT damaging to our neurological systems, and it is not necessary to use the oil full strength. Mix it with some olive oil, almond oil, or into your shampoo and conditioner. It works, and it's safe. Neither claim can be made by the commercial treatments on the market today regardless of whether they are prescription strength or over the counter.

 

[hitssquad]

VERMIN:
- How bad will mice and rats really be 'post - T'?

A tight concrete secure-home keeps the vermin out -- as long as the doors are not left open.

 

[Just a Nurse 2]

Tea tree oil is great stuff ... I just wonder what alternatives are more readily available for after TSHTF when the tea tree oil has run out ....


Suz

 

[Katydid]

The year my daughter was in the 5th grade was a nightmare. She was reinfected with lice every time she went back to school. We had to treat her at least 8 different times. The over the counter stuff was ineffective to say the least. The lice just ran to the nape of her neck and waved at us! Home remedies did not work. We had to use two prescription meds to get rid of them. We treated her with the Lindane shampoo first and then used the Ovide. I swore if she came home with them again, I would shave her head. Luckily the child who kept giving them to her moved away, and she hasn't had them since.

Also learned that lice CAN live away from the body for at least 36 hours. The ones I pulled off of my daughter after I treated her survived in a styrofoam cup enclosed in a ziploc baggie for that long. Wonder how long they can survive without being treated? The principal at the elementary school was not pleased with me when I marched into the school with those lice to show her. She did agree to have the 5th grade wing and the school buses fumigated after I explained that the school nurse was mistaken when she told me the lice could only live apart from the human body for 2 hours!

IMHO, shaving your head is the safest and most effective way to be rid of lice. Check out the ingredients of the prescription treatments in post #15. No way will I ever use those on my kid again.

 

[ofuzzy1]

Kaytdid:

Yikes: On 8 reinfestations.

The school is supposed to prevent a child with lice from returning until the school nurse verifies that the child is rid of them.

 

[Caplock50]

The kerosene will only be flamable for a short period after it's applied. And, according to some of the folks that have used it for lice treatments, it makes the hair grow. And I've never heard of it burning or blistering the scalp. Kerosene can also be used as a medicine for cuts, too. I knew a man who chopped his thumb nearly off. He held it in place while his wife bandaged it up. They then soaked it in kerosene. When it had healed, he had full use of the thumb.