Asher Kelman
OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi,
We all love Nature nand Natural sounds great. However, when we penetrate the ecosystems of the wild or they invade our own, there can be life-threatening consequences.
I'll write an article on this, but for now here's some pointers.
Insects/"bugs"/ticks/spiders/snakes in general:
1. Although one sees sandles and bare feet and shorts when adventurers on TV searching for and capture snakes and other critters, that is very risky where there are disease vectors!!
Ticks carry Rickettsia including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and wait on trails, drawn by carbon dioxide of passing animals. They jump at the first target for a blood meal. If the tick is there long enough, it can inject the activated germ into your blood stream and 3-12 days later you may have a rash, get very sick and be hospitalized. A hidden tick might even cause a paralysis that baffles doctors until it is found and removed.
Always use forceps close to the skin to remove a tick. Never squeeze it, crush iy oy try to treat i with hot wax or anything else! Get a buddy to check your back!
Mosquitoes need a blood meal too. In the USA, any non fast moving water, even in a bird feeder or a (commonly) in a dumpled old tire, can house the breeding mosquitoes. In Africa and the Fae East, they can bring you Malaria so take prophylactic tablets) and in wherever they are, West Nile virus and other Arboviruses which can cause fatalities.
2. So wear shoes, socks, long pants and have the least amount of target area to attract a bite! Don't think you can be "Natural" or that good diet helps you. You are fair game for any bug that needs a meal or gets pissed off! So protect yourself.
Naked skin must have insect repellant!
At night, check for ticks!
3. Spider or other bites that swell rapidly, progressive rash and have lines going up a limb or cause faver, malaise, headache means you must get to a hospital urgently.
4. Don't share food with animals.
It threatens infection of animals, infection of humans, (zoonoses) and can destroy their ability to survive on the food they need. It also makes them too friendly with humans.
5. Carry water and if it can work, a cell phone and GPS device, but you know that already.
Asher
We all love Nature nand Natural sounds great. However, when we penetrate the ecosystems of the wild or they invade our own, there can be life-threatening consequences.
I'll write an article on this, but for now here's some pointers.
Insects/"bugs"/ticks/spiders/snakes in general:
1. Although one sees sandles and bare feet and shorts when adventurers on TV searching for and capture snakes and other critters, that is very risky where there are disease vectors!!
Ticks carry Rickettsia including Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and wait on trails, drawn by carbon dioxide of passing animals. They jump at the first target for a blood meal. If the tick is there long enough, it can inject the activated germ into your blood stream and 3-12 days later you may have a rash, get very sick and be hospitalized. A hidden tick might even cause a paralysis that baffles doctors until it is found and removed.
Always use forceps close to the skin to remove a tick. Never squeeze it, crush iy oy try to treat i with hot wax or anything else! Get a buddy to check your back!
Mosquitoes need a blood meal too. In the USA, any non fast moving water, even in a bird feeder or a (commonly) in a dumpled old tire, can house the breeding mosquitoes. In Africa and the Fae East, they can bring you Malaria so take prophylactic tablets) and in wherever they are, West Nile virus and other Arboviruses which can cause fatalities.
2. So wear shoes, socks, long pants and have the least amount of target area to attract a bite! Don't think you can be "Natural" or that good diet helps you. You are fair game for any bug that needs a meal or gets pissed off! So protect yourself.
Naked skin must have insect repellant!
At night, check for ticks!
3. Spider or other bites that swell rapidly, progressive rash and have lines going up a limb or cause faver, malaise, headache means you must get to a hospital urgently.
4. Don't share food with animals.
It threatens infection of animals, infection of humans, (zoonoses) and can destroy their ability to survive on the food they need. It also makes them too friendly with humans.
5. Carry water and if it can work, a cell phone and GPS device, but you know that already.
Asher
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