There’s Bugs in Them Thar Hills!

Hubby and I went camping over the long weekend. We came home a day early because we were both covered in chigger and tick bites. As I was researching alternative treatments for the bites, it got me to thinking about how that situation would play out in a SHTF scenario.

Ticks and chiggers love tall grass and wooded areas. In any kind of collapse situation, nobody is going to be worrying about mowing and weed eating – unless they are actually going to be eating the weeds. When not held at bay, Mother Nature will quickly take back her territories that we have occupied, starting with the woods and pastures. Guess where the wild game is you might be hunting for food? The longer the situation goes on, the more she will take, and the more her creatures will inhabit. Unmolested by chemical agents, bugs will quickly become a huge problem. Not only are they annoying, but both mosquitos and ticks carry life threatening diseases, which would be even more dangerous if there were no doctors or medicine to treat them.

I found a recipe for homemade bug spray that looks like it might be a good alternative to store bought versions, which you wouldn’t be able to get if things went to hell. The recipe is below, and here’s a link to the page. https://draxe.com/homemade-bug-spray/ Everything in the recipe I have in my preps, as they can be used in multiple ways. For not a lot of money (the essential oils are the costliest item, but they last a while) you can make something you were buying before. When you can’t buy it, and you need it, being able to make it is an essential skill.

Homemade Bug Spray

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup witch hazel
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 40 drops essential oils (eucalyptus, lemongrass, citronella, tea tree, or rosemary)
• Glass spray bottle

Directions:
1. Mix all ingredients in 8oz spray bottle
2. Spray over all portions of the body but avoid repellent in eyes and mouth