A Prepper’s Guide to Parasite Control When SHTF

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by Daisy Luther, The Organic Prepper:

They’re coming. 

It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when. An invasion is taking place. Bloodthirsty armies are cropping up everywhere. You can’t hide from them. They can track you. Gunfire won’t kill them; neither can swords or knives. They’re hungry, but they don’t want your canned goods or your MREs. You see, they don’t want your food because, to them, you are the food. And no, I’m not talking about space aliens. 

I’m talking about parasites.

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Fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes, to be precise. Prosperous societies have seemingly reduced these pests from threat level status to little more than an inconvenient, occasional nuisance. However, history says that once prosperity fades, these pests come back with a vengeance. And when that happens, that “nuisance” fast becomes a danger. 

Infections transmitted by a parasite can kill you.

One only needs to crack open a history book to see the devastating, chilling effects that parasites can inflict on us. Bubonic plague killed an estimated ⅓ of Europe alone in the 1300s. Malaria, dengue, West Nile, Lyme disease, typhus, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are responsible for a number of fatalities each year, and sometimes even cause permanent damage to the body if you survive the initial infection. New, deadly diseases could emerge in the future, the spread of which can likely be aided by fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes. 

parasite control

The conveniences, cleanliness, readily available medical treatment, and technological advances that modern society has to offer have made many people forget the threat that these parasites have posed and still pose to us. Even in a slow-burning SHTF situation, hindrances with garbage removal can leave trash uncollected, gradually piling up in people’s yards. Raw, untreated sewage can leak into the environment as companies cut corners to try to fight rampant inflation. Shortages of important medicines, such as antibiotics, fever reducers, and common medical supplies, can become more scarce. A lack of doctors, nurses, and hospital workers can prolong wait times for urgent emergency care. 

If you think this is bad now, add flea infestations, swarms of mosquitoes, and ticks to the mix, and you’ve got a recipe for a potential disaster.

Garbage will draw in a large number of rats, who will bring hitchhiking fleas with them. Neglected parking lots littered with potholes and unkempt yards will offer plenty of still water for mosquitoes to lay their eggs in. And due to shortages and sudden, increased demand, it’ll be more difficult to find insect repellents, antibiotics, or medical supplies, not to mention access to a doctor for treatment.

The threat of old diseases has never left us. We just managed to hold it off by maintaining our small towns and cities while having the right treatments available at exactly the right times to stave off any infections. 

In the United States, some parasite infections are actually on the rise.

Be it from mild winters to unkempt, even unsanitary or crowded conditions in our towns and cities, your chances of coming into contact with disease carriers have increased. This is true of urban, suburban, and rural areas.

While not every flea, tick, or mosquito is carrying life-threatening germs with them, they’re still a nuisance to deal with. Too many bites, even from disease-free parasites, can leave you with anemia, insomnia, poor coordination, stress, and a weaker immune system. This can make you vulnerable to a slew of other unrelated illnesses. Lack of sleep can cause you to make poor decisions when you need to rely on your thinking skills the most. Not a good scenario. 

You don’t even have to be around rats or other animals for flea infestations to occur.

Many years ago, I lived with my family out in the countryside. When a (pet-free) family moved close by, we soon found ourselves facing an unexpected flea infestation, courtesy of them. It was interesting to note that we had no pets at the time either. This type of situation is more common than you think, with people (oftentimes unknowingly) transmitting fleas to other people’s homes. Parasites aren’t picky. Where there is blood, they will follow. 

They’ll eagerly go after people in areas where there are no pets or any other animals for that matter. They usually lie in wait in grassy areas and cling to you. They can hide out in your hair or clothing as you unknowingly bring them into your home. A lone female flea can lay 40 to 50 eggs per day. A single female tick will lay a few thousand eggs and die afterwards. All it takes is one or two parasites, and you can wind up with an infestation of your home and yard. 

This article isn’t meant to cause fear or alarm.

By no means am I suggesting that you become a recluse and live in a bubble indoors for the rest of your life because of a few pests. Parasites have always been part of Earth’s ecosystems, and they always will be. It’s good to learn as much as you can about them because knowledge truly is power. It gives you the upper hand in a variety of situations. There are risks with everything and anything, inside and outside of your home. The key is to minimize these risks and prepare to nip any potential problems in the bud before they become exacerbated. 

Prevention is key.

Because many of the diseases listed can either be potentially fatal or have moderate to severe side effects even after treatment, prevention is the best approach. The goal is to make your home environment as hostile to fleas, mosquitoes, and ticks as possible. Here are a few ways to do so…

Keep the grass around your home cut.

If you’re in a slow-burning type of SHTF situation and are bugging in, try to keep the grass short. Fleas and ticks love tall grass they can hide in. If you have a small yard and gas is too costly, or you need a quieter alternative, an old-fashioned manual push mower can do wonders for your yard. This option might not even be applicable depending on the severity of the SHTF you’re experiencing. 

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