Re: FARMER'S VIEW OF MITES

[Guest guest]

hee...hee....chewing on matches? Sounds delightful. I guess it shows the desperation this plague instills in many of us.From: livingwithcritters <livingwithcritters@...>bird mites Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 2:20:08 PMSubject: FARMER'S VIEW OF

MITES

Bill sent me this:

FARMER'S VIEW OF MITES

Here is a farmer's view of mites, with his family's handed down solutions. His points? Mites are neither new nor foreign.--KJ

"I was raised on a farming ranch in Louisiana, which is called "semitropical, " and where I still live. There are many types of mites that bite people, but I can only list a few here.

[by the way] Warm-blooded animals get lice; plants get lice; however, these are not the same type of lice. The "lice" that infest your turnip greens will not bite you because it suddenly "got warmer" in the US.

However, the mites and lice that infest your chicken house will not be satisfied with turnip greens, but will crawl all over you, giving you the "itch" for many days after you get rid of them.

Redbugs [also known as chiggers] are picked up from walking through unmown grass, brush, and even sometimes dirt. They burrow under your skin and make you want to take a wire brush to it.

Seed ticks will cover you if you brush against the wrong tree limb. They will also infest your living room when you buy that "real" Christmas tree.

Dog or sarcoptes mange, which humans dislike calling scabies, will infest all your pets--AND you.

The creeping crud is a fungus that may not display visible symptoms for months, but before that will make you claw until you bleed. It usually starts at the ankles and works up; it lives in the soil.

Hog lice, chicken mites, ring worm, and scores of other fungi and bacteria from livestock and pets also readily get on humans.

While we backwoods country people might…seem stupid to some, we know these critters you are talking about. They were here long before you, [your son, your brother, or your mother] went overseas. It is just as possible that [you or they got] their critter on a Georgia camping trip as from Iraq. We have long used these remedies--

· Bathed with 1 or 2 capfuls of pine oil or bleach · Cleaned our houses with pine oil. · Dabbed pine oil, turpentine, or, if desperate enough, coal oil, on redbugs, and on various other critters that attached themselves to us. · Coated ourselves with various kinds of fats, mud, and pastes to keep [the critters] off, and to kill them when they decided to live on us anyway. · Bathed in baking soda, table salt, and epsom salt to keep from itching. · Smeared a paste made from mustard, baking soda, and tobacco. · Put the skin from inside eggshells on bad bites to draw out the itch. · Chewed on the sulphur ends of hard matches. · Made a paste from flowers of sulfur [now called sublimed sulfur]. Bugs hate the smell of sulfur, and it protects the bites from infection. One of the bad things about itchy bites is it all that scratching [results in] hot, bleeding flesh, which attracts even more critters.

As for borax: you can buy 20 Mule Team Borax powder; it's been around longer than any of us. We wash with it, neutralize orors with it, remove stains with it, and so on.

Most of all, down here, we have been rubbing it on our meat in our smoke houses for ages; flies won't even light on it. we just wash [the borax] off when we take [the meat] out to eat.

I heard in the 80's that eighties, that recycled, [torn] up newspapers were being blown into the walls of old historical homes to insulate them. Guess what they were soaking the news paper in prior to drying and chopping it up? That's right...[good old] Borax. You can--

Use it to kill and repel bugs, repel rodents, and prevent [rodents] from chewing and nesting in the paper insulation.

Use it to make [flammables like] newspaper fire retardant.

Make your on roach and ant bait by mixing borax with flour and sugar, or just with corn syrup and Borax.

Use it like carpet fresh.

Wash your walls and floors and counters with it.

Use it as a paste for scrubbing; just don't rinse it too well.

For people [who want clean clothes that are free of] fragrance fumes, and so on, use it as a laundry detergent.

If the varmints are eating your ankles up, mix borax with your lotion or vaseline to [repel and heal]."

KJ

[Guest guest]

KJ

Some of the information handed down to farmers was misinformation and

old wives tales. In this " farmers Veiw of Mites " the very first item

is Redbugs. It turns out these are not Chiggers at all and the fact

that chiggers don't go under the skin. For many years this was listed

in old medical books which just goes to show that doctors are

clueless about bugs. WTG............................

>

>

> Bill sent me this:

>

>

>

> FARMER'S VIEW OF MITES

>

>

>

> Here is a farmer's view of mites, with his family's handed down

> solutions.

> His points? Mites are neither new nor foreign.--KJ

>

>

>

> " I was raised on a farming ranch in Louisiana, which is called

> " semitropical, " and where I still live. There are many types of

mites

> that bite people, but I can only list a few here.

>

>

>

> [by the way] Warm-blooded animals get lice; plants get lice;

however,

> these are not the same type of lice. The " lice " that infest your

turnip

> greens will not bite you because it suddenly " got warmer " in the US.

>

>

>

> However, the mites and lice that infest your chicken house will not

be

> satisfied with turnip greens, but will crawl all over you, giving

you

> the " itch " for many days after you get rid of them.

>

>

>

> * Redbugs [also known as chiggers] are picked up from walking

> through unmown grass, brush, and even sometimes dirt. They burrow

under

> your skin and make you want to take a wire brush to it.

>

> * Seed ticks will cover you if you brush against the wrong tree

> limb. They will also infest your living room when you buy

that " real "

> Christmas tree.

>

> * Dog or sarcoptes mange, which humans dislike calling

scabies, will

> infest all your pets--AND you.

>

> * The creeping crud is a fungus that may not display visible

> symptoms for months, but before that will make you claw until you

bleed.

> It usually starts at the ankles and works up; it lives in the soil.

>

> * Hog lice, chicken mites, ring worm, and scores of other

fungi and

> bacteria from livestock and pets also readily get on humans.

>

> While we backwoods country people might…seem stupid to some, we know

> these critters you are talking about. They were here long before

you,

> [your son, your brother, or your mother] went overseas. It is just

as

> possible that [you or they got] their critter on a Georgia camping

trip

> as from Iraq. We have long used these remedies--

>

>

>

> · Bathed with 1 or 2 capfuls of pine oil or bleach

>

> · Cleaned our houses with pine oil.

>

> · Dabbed pine oil, turpentine, or, if desperate enough, coal

> oil, on redbugs, and on various other critters that attached

themselves

> to us.

>

> · Coated ourselves with various kinds of fats, mud, and

pastes

> to keep [the critters] off, and to kill them when they decided to

live

> on us anyway.

>

> · Bathed in baking soda, table salt, and epsom salt to keep

> from itching.

>

> · Smeared a paste made from mustard, baking soda, and

tobacco.

>

> · Put the skin from inside eggshells on bad bites to draw out

> the itch.

>

> · Chewed on the sulphur ends of hard matches.

>

> · Made a paste from flowers of sulfur [now called sublimed

> sulfur]. Bugs hate the smell of sulfur, and it protects the bites

from

> infection.

>

>

> One of the bad things about itchy bites is it all that scratching

> [results in] hot, bleeding flesh, which attracts even more critters.

>

>

>

> As for borax: you can buy 20 Mule Team Borax powder; it's been

around

> longer than any of us. We wash with it, neutralize orors with it,

remove

> stains with it, and so on.

>

>

>

> Most of all, down here, we have been rubbing it on our meat in our

smoke

> houses for ages; flies won't even light on it. we just wash [the

borax]

> off when we take [the meat] out to eat.

>

>

>

> I heard in the 80's that eighties, that recycled, [torn] up

newspapers

> were being blown into the walls of old historical homes to insulate

> them. Guess what they were soaking the news paper in prior to

drying and

> chopping it up? That's right...[good old] Borax. You can--

>

>

>

> * Use it to kill and repel bugs, repel rodents, and prevent

> [rodents] from chewing and nesting in the paper insulation.

>

> * Use it to make [flammables like] newspaper fire retardant.

>

> * Make your on roach and ant bait by mixing borax with flour

and

> sugar, or just with corn syrup and Borax.

>

> * Use it like carpet fresh.

>

> * Wash your walls and floors and counters with it.

>

> * Use it as a paste for scrubbing; just don't rinse it too

well.

>

> * For people [who want clean clothes that are free of]

fragrance

> fumes, and so on, use it as a laundry detergent.

>

> * If the varmints are eating your ankles up, mix borax with

your

> lotion or vaseline to [repel and heal]. "

>

> KJ

>

[Guest guest]

er, my mother tells me I ate match heads and cigarette butts as a

baby. Nasty habit. Probably why I never smoked. (That couldn't be it,

could it? Anyone else sneak cigarette butts as a tot?)

KJ

>

> hee...hee....chewing on matches? Sounds delightful. I guess it

shows the desperation this plague instills in many of us.

>

>

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: livingwithcritters <livingwithcritters@...>

> bird mites

> Sent: Saturday, December 27, 2008 2:20:08 PM

> Subject: FARMER'S VIEW OF MITES

>

>

> Bill sent me this:

>

> FARMER'S VIEW OF MITES

>

> Here is a farmer's view of mites, with his family's handed down

solutions.

> His points? Mites are neither new nor foreign.--KJ

>

> " I was raised on a farming ranch in Louisiana, which is

called " semitropical, " and where I still live. There are many types

of mites that bite people, but I can only list a few here.

>

> [by the way] Warm-blooded animals get lice; plants get lice;

however, these are not the same type of lice. The " lice " that infest

your turnip greens will not bite you because it suddenly " got warmer "

in the US.

>

> However, the mites and lice that infest your chicken house will not

be satisfied with turnip greens, but will crawl all over you, giving

you the " itch " for many days after you get rid of them.

>

> * Redbugs [also known as chiggers] are picked up from walking

through unmown grass, brush, and even sometimes dirt. They burrow

under your skin and make you want to take a wire brush to it.

>

> * Seed ticks will cover you if you brush against the wrong

tree limb. They will also infest your living room when you buy

that " real " Christmas tree.

>

> * Dog or sarcoptes mange, which humans dislike calling

scabies, will infest all your pets--AND you.

>

> * The creeping crud is a fungus that may not display visible

symptoms for months, but before that will make you claw until you

bleed. It usually starts at the ankles and works up; it lives in the

soil.

>

> * Hog lice, chicken mites, ring worm, and scores of other

fungi and bacteria from livestock and pets also readily get on humans.

> While we backwoods country people might…seem stupid to some, we

know these critters you are talking about. They were here long before

you, [your son, your brother, or your mother] went overseas. It is

just as possible that [you or they got] their critter on a

Georgiacamping trip as from Iraq. We have long used these remedies--

>

> · Bathed with 1 or 2 capfuls of pine oil or bleach

> · Cleaned our houses with pine oil.

> · Dabbed pine oil, turpentine, or, if desperate enough, coal

oil, on redbugs, and on various other critters that attached

themselves to us.

> · Coated ourselves with various kinds of fats, mud, and

pastes to keep [the critters] off, and to kill them when they decided

to live on us anyway.

> · Bathed in baking soda, table salt, and epsom salt to keep

from itching.

> · Smeared a paste made from mustard, baking soda, and

tobacco.

> · Put the skin from inside eggshells on bad bites to draw

out the itch.

> · Chewed on the sulphur ends of hard matches.

> · Made a paste from flowers of sulfur [now called sublimed

sulfur]. Bugs hate the smell of sulfur, and it protects the bites

from infection.

>

> One of the bad things about itchy bites is it all that scratching

[results in] hot, bleeding flesh, which attracts even more critters.

>

> As for borax: you can buy 20 Mule Team Borax powder; it's been

around longer than any of us. We wash with it, neutralize orors with

it, remove stains with it, and so on.

>

> Most of all, down here, we have been rubbing it on our meat in our

smoke houses for ages; flies won't even light on it. we just wash

[the borax] off when we take [the meat] out to eat.

>

> I heard in the 80's that eighties, that recycled, [torn] up

newspapers were being blown into the walls of old historical homes to

insulate them. Guess what they were soaking the news paper in prior

to drying and chopping it up? That's right...[good old] Borax. You

can--

>

> * Use it to kill and repel bugs, repel rodents, and prevent

[rodents] from chewing and nesting in the paper insulation.

>

> * Use it to make [flammables like] newspaper fire retardant.

>

> * Make your on roach and ant bait by mixing borax with flour

and sugar, or just with corn syrup and Borax.

>

> * Use it like carpet fresh.

>

> * Wash your walls and floors and counters with it.

>

> * Use it as a paste for scrubbing; just don't rinse it too

well.

>

> * For people [who want clean clothes that are free of]

fragrance fumes, and so on, use it as a laundry detergent.

>

> * If the varmints are eating your ankles up, mix borax with

your lotion or vaseline to [repel and heal]. "

> KJ

>

[Guest guest]

Amen!!!!! Glad you are here to confirm or deny...

Thx,

KJ

> >

> >

> > Bill sent me this:

> >

> >

> >

> > FARMER'S VIEW OF MITES

> >

> >

> >

> > Here is a farmer's view of mites, with his family's handed down

> > solutions.

> > His points? Mites are neither new nor foreign.--KJ

> >

> >

> >

> > " I was raised on a farming ranch in Louisiana, which is called

> > " semitropical, " and where I still live. There are many types of

> mites

> > that bite people, but I can only list a few here.

> >

> >

> >

> > [by the way] Warm-blooded animals get lice; plants get lice;

> however,

> > these are not the same type of lice. The " lice " that infest your

> turnip

> > greens will not bite you because it suddenly " got warmer " in the

US.

> >

> >

> >

> > However, the mites and lice that infest your chicken house will

not

> be

> > satisfied with turnip greens, but will crawl all over you, giving

> you

> > the " itch " for many days after you get rid of them.

> >

> >

> >

> > * Redbugs [also known as chiggers] are picked up from walking

> > through unmown grass, brush, and even sometimes dirt. They burrow

> under

> > your skin and make you want to take a wire brush to it.

> >

> > * Seed ticks will cover you if you brush against the wrong

tree

> > limb. They will also infest your living room when you buy

> that " real "

> > Christmas tree.

> >

> > * Dog or sarcoptes mange, which humans dislike calling

> scabies, will

> > infest all your pets--AND you.

> >

> > * The creeping crud is a fungus that may not display visible

> > symptoms for months, but before that will make you claw until you

> bleed.

> > It usually starts at the ankles and works up; it lives in the

soil.

> >

> > * Hog lice, chicken mites, ring worm, and scores of other

> fungi and

> > bacteria from livestock and pets also readily get on humans.

> >

> > While we backwoods country people might…seem stupid to some, we

know

> > these critters you are talking about. They were here long before

> you,

> > [your son, your brother, or your mother] went overseas. It is

just

> as

> > possible that [you or they got] their critter on a Georgia

camping

> trip

> > as from Iraq. We have long used these remedies--

> >

> >

> >

> > · Bathed with 1 or 2 capfuls of pine oil or bleach

> >

> > · Cleaned our houses with pine oil.

> >

> > · Dabbed pine oil, turpentine, or, if desperate enough,

coal

> > oil, on redbugs, and on various other critters that attached

> themselves

> > to us.

> >

> > · Coated ourselves with various kinds of fats, mud, and

> pastes

> > to keep [the critters] off, and to kill them when they decided to

> live

> > on us anyway.

> >

> > · Bathed in baking soda, table salt, and epsom salt to keep

> > from itching.

> >

> > · Smeared a paste made from mustard, baking soda, and

> tobacco.

> >

> > · Put the skin from inside eggshells on bad bites to draw

out

> > the itch.

> >

> > · Chewed on the sulphur ends of hard matches.

> >

> > · Made a paste from flowers of sulfur [now called sublimed

> > sulfur]. Bugs hate the smell of sulfur, and it protects the bites

> from

> > infection.

> >

> >

> > One of the bad things about itchy bites is it all that scratching

> > [results in] hot, bleeding flesh, which attracts even more

critters.

> >

> >

> >

> > As for borax: you can buy 20 Mule Team Borax powder; it's been

> around

> > longer than any of us. We wash with it, neutralize orors with it,

> remove

> > stains with it, and so on.

> >

> >

> >

> > Most of all, down here, we have been rubbing it on our meat in

our

> smoke

> > houses for ages; flies won't even light on it. we just wash [the

> borax]

> > off when we take [the meat] out to eat.

> >

> >

> >

> > I heard in the 80's that eighties, that recycled, [torn] up

> newspapers

> > were being blown into the walls of old historical homes to

insulate

> > them. Guess what they were soaking the news paper in prior to

> drying and

> > chopping it up? That's right...[good old] Borax. You can--

> >

> >

> >

> > * Use it to kill and repel bugs, repel rodents, and prevent

> > [rodents] from chewing and nesting in the paper insulation.

> >

> > * Use it to make [flammables like] newspaper fire retardant.

> >

> > * Make your on roach and ant bait by mixing borax with flour

> and

> > sugar, or just with corn syrup and Borax.

> >

> > * Use it like carpet fresh.

> >

> > * Wash your walls and floors and counters with it.

> >

> > * Use it as a paste for scrubbing; just don't rinse it too

> well.

> >

> > * For people [who want clean clothes that are free of]

> fragrance

> > fumes, and so on, use it as a laundry detergent.

> >

> > * If the varmints are eating your ankles up, mix borax with

> your

> > lotion or vaseline to [repel and heal]. "

> >

> > KJ

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Beg to differ, WTG - in Virginia chiggers are called " redbugs " -

mainly because the red-oolored ones predominate. Understand that

different areas use different names, just as they do for flowers. And

though chiggers technically do not burrow, it's understandable that

they would be considered to, since they disappear into the skin. They

actually crawl down a hair far into a pore & hang out there. At least

chiggers are self-limiting & will detach after feeding & drop off.

Personally, I find many of the old wives' tales informative ways of

passing on basic knowledge of how to deal with various common

problems. In many cases, I'd be inclined to trust old wives' & old-

time doctors' methods more than modern medicine & " science " , which

don't know nearly as much about how things work as many would like to

believe.

So I agree that misinformation is commonplace, but note that names

for the locals vary in different locales. And I wound up knowing more

about the local chiggers/redbugs than the general practioners &

dermatologists were even interested enough to find out.

Best wishes, Sue

> >

> >

> > Bill sent me this:

> >

> >

> >

> > FARMER'S VIEW OF MITES

> >

> >

> >

> > Here is a farmer's view of mites, with his family's handed down

> > solutions.

> > His points? Mites are neither new nor foreign.--KJ

> >

> >

> >

> > " I was raised on a farming ranch in Louisiana, which is called

> > " semitropical, " and where I still live. There are many types of

> mites

> > that bite people, but I can only list a few here.

> >

> >

> >

> > [by the way] Warm-blooded animals get lice; plants get lice;

> however,

> > these are not the same type of lice. The " lice " that infest your

> turnip

> > greens will not bite you because it suddenly " got warmer " in the

US.

> >

> >

> >

> > However, the mites and lice that infest your chicken house will

not

> be

> > satisfied with turnip greens, but will crawl all over you, giving

> you

> > the " itch " for many days after you get rid of them.

> >

> >

> >

> > * Redbugs [also known as chiggers] are picked up from walking

> > through unmown grass, brush, and even sometimes dirt. They burrow

> under

> > your skin and make you want to take a wire brush to it.

> >

> > * Seed ticks will cover you if you brush against the wrong

tree

> > limb. They will also infest your living room when you buy

> that " real "

> > Christmas tree.

> >

> > * Dog or sarcoptes mange, which humans dislike calling

> scabies, will

> > infest all your pets--AND you.

> >

> > * The creeping crud is a fungus that may not display visible

> > symptoms for months, but before that will make you claw until you

> bleed.

> > It usually starts at the ankles and works up; it lives in the

soil.

> >

> > * Hog lice, chicken mites, ring worm, and scores of other

> fungi and

> > bacteria from livestock and pets also readily get on humans.

> >

> > While we backwoods country people might…seem stupid to some, we

know

> > these critters you are talking about. They were here long before

> you,

> > [your son, your brother, or your mother] went overseas. It is

just

> as

> > possible that [you or they got] their critter on a Georgia

camping

> trip

> > as from Iraq. We have long used these remedies--

> >

> >

> >

> > · Bathed with 1 or 2 capfuls of pine oil or bleach

> >

> > · Cleaned our houses with pine oil.

> >

> > · Dabbed pine oil, turpentine, or, if desperate enough,

coal

> > oil, on redbugs, and on various other critters that attached

> themselves

> > to us.

> >

> > · Coated ourselves with various kinds of fats, mud, and

> pastes

> > to keep [the critters] off, and to kill them when they decided to

> live

> > on us anyway.

> >

> > · Bathed in baking soda, table salt, and epsom salt to keep

> > from itching.

> >

> > · Smeared a paste made from mustard, baking soda, and

> tobacco.

> >

> > · Put the skin from inside eggshells on bad bites to draw

out

> > the itch.

> >

> > · Chewed on the sulphur ends of hard matches.

> >

> > · Made a paste from flowers of sulfur [now called sublimed

> > sulfur]. Bugs hate the smell of sulfur, and it protects the bites

> from

> > infection.

> >

> >

> > One of the bad things about itchy bites is it all that scratching

> > [results in] hot, bleeding flesh, which attracts even more

critters.

> >

> >

> >

> > As for borax: you can buy 20 Mule Team Borax powder; it's been

> around

> > longer than any of us. We wash with it, neutralize orors with it,

> remove

> > stains with it, and so on.

> >

> >

> >

> > Most of all, down here, we have been rubbing it on our meat in

our

> smoke

> > houses for ages; flies won't even light on it. we just wash [the

> borax]

> > off when we take [the meat] out to eat.

> >

> >

> >

> > I heard in the 80's that eighties, that recycled, [torn] up

> newspapers

> > were being blown into the walls of old historical homes to

insulate

> > them. Guess what they were soaking the news paper in prior to

> drying and

> > chopping it up? That's right...[good old] Borax. You can--

> >

> >

> >

> > * Use it to kill and repel bugs, repel rodents, and prevent

> > [rodents] from chewing and nesting in the paper insulation.

> >

> > * Use it to make [flammables like] newspaper fire retardant.

> >

> > * Make your on roach and ant bait by mixing borax with flour

> and

> > sugar, or just with corn syrup and Borax.

> >

> > * Use it like carpet fresh.

> >

> > * Wash your walls and floors and counters with it.

> >

> > * Use it as a paste for scrubbing; just don't rinse it too

> well.

> >

> > * For people [who want clean clothes that are free of]

> fragrance

> > fumes, and so on, use it as a laundry detergent.

> >

> > * If the varmints are eating your ankles up, mix borax with

> your

> > lotion or vaseline to [repel and heal]. "

> >

> > KJ

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Sorry Sue, I was talking about the Doctors Diagnosing a red bug that

was found under the skin as being a chigger. From a Medical Treatment

book dated 1972 I'll read the clinical findings. " The red chigger may

sometimes be seen in the center of papules which have not been

scratched. WTG...............................................

> > >

> > >

> > > Bill sent me this:

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > FARMER'S VIEW OF MITES

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Here is a farmer's view of mites, with his family's handed down

> > > solutions.

> > > His points? Mites are neither new nor foreign.--KJ

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > " I was raised on a farming ranch in Louisiana, which is called

> > > " semitropical, " and where I still live. There are many types of

> > mites

> > > that bite people, but I can only list a few here.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > [by the way] Warm-blooded animals get lice; plants get lice;

> > however,

> > > these are not the same type of lice. The " lice " that infest

your

> > turnip

> > > greens will not bite you because it suddenly " got warmer " in

the

> US.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > However, the mites and lice that infest your chicken house will

> not

> > be

> > > satisfied with turnip greens, but will crawl all over you,

giving

> > you

> > > the " itch " for many days after you get rid of them.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > * Redbugs [also known as chiggers] are picked up from

walking

> > > through unmown grass, brush, and even sometimes dirt. They

burrow

> > under

> > > your skin and make you want to take a wire brush to it.

> > >

> > > * Seed ticks will cover you if you brush against the wrong

> tree

> > > limb. They will also infest your living room when you buy

> > that " real "

> > > Christmas tree.

> > >

> > > * Dog or sarcoptes mange, which humans dislike calling

> > scabies, will

> > > infest all your pets--AND you.

> > >

> > > * The creeping crud is a fungus that may not display

visible

> > > symptoms for months, but before that will make you claw until

you

> > bleed.

> > > It usually starts at the ankles and works up; it lives in the

> soil.

> > >

> > > * Hog lice, chicken mites, ring worm, and scores of other

> > fungi and

> > > bacteria from livestock and pets also readily get on humans.

> > >

> > > While we backwoods country people might…seem stupid to some, we

> know

> > > these critters you are talking about. They were here long

before

> > you,

> > > [your son, your brother, or your mother] went overseas. It is

> just

> > as

> > > possible that [you or they got] their critter on a Georgia

> camping

> > trip

> > > as from Iraq. We have long used these remedies--

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > · Bathed with 1 or 2 capfuls of pine oil or bleach

> > >

> > > · Cleaned our houses with pine oil.

> > >

> > > · Dabbed pine oil, turpentine, or, if desperate enough,

> coal

> > > oil, on redbugs, and on various other critters that attached

> > themselves

> > > to us.

> > >

> > > · Coated ourselves with various kinds of fats, mud, and

> > pastes

> > > to keep [the critters] off, and to kill them when they decided

to

> > live

> > > on us anyway.

> > >

> > > · Bathed in baking soda, table salt, and epsom salt to

keep

> > > from itching.

> > >

> > > · Smeared a paste made from mustard, baking soda, and

> > tobacco.

> > >

> > > · Put the skin from inside eggshells on bad bites to

draw

> out

> > > the itch.

> > >

> > > · Chewed on the sulphur ends of hard matches.

> > >

> > > · Made a paste from flowers of sulfur [now called

sublimed

> > > sulfur]. Bugs hate the smell of sulfur, and it protects the

bites

> > from

> > > infection.

> > >

> > >

> > > One of the bad things about itchy bites is it all that

scratching

> > > [results in] hot, bleeding flesh, which attracts even more

> critters.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > As for borax: you can buy 20 Mule Team Borax powder; it's been

> > around

> > > longer than any of us. We wash with it, neutralize orors with

it,

> > remove

> > > stains with it, and so on.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > Most of all, down here, we have been rubbing it on our meat in

> our

> > smoke

> > > houses for ages; flies won't even light on it. we just wash

[the

> > borax]

> > > off when we take [the meat] out to eat.

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > I heard in the 80's that eighties, that recycled, [torn] up

> > newspapers

> > > were being blown into the walls of old historical homes to

> insulate

> > > them. Guess what they were soaking the news paper in prior to

> > drying and

> > > chopping it up? That's right...[good old] Borax. You can--

> > >

> > >

> > >

> > > * Use it to kill and repel bugs, repel rodents, and prevent

> > > [rodents] from chewing and nesting in the paper insulation.

> > >

> > > * Use it to make [flammables like] newspaper fire

retardant.

> > >

> > > * Make your on roach and ant bait by mixing borax with

flour

> > and

> > > sugar, or just with corn syrup and Borax.

> > >

> > > * Use it like carpet fresh.

> > >

> > > * Wash your walls and floors and counters with it.

> > >

> > > * Use it as a paste for scrubbing; just don't rinse it too

> > well.

> > >

> > > * For people [who want clean clothes that are free of]

> > fragrance

> > > fumes, and so on, use it as a laundry detergent.

> > >

> > > * If the varmints are eating your ankles up, mix borax

with

> > your

> > > lotion or vaseline to [repel and heal]. "

> > >

> > > KJ

> > >

> >

>