controlling insect pests

[Owly055]

     Many voyaging destinations have serious insect issues, or just nuisance insects.  Mosquitoes, ticks, and other blood sucking insects carry disease such as malaria, dengue, zika, rocky mountain spotted fever, lyme disease, bubonic plague, and countless other diseases.  In fact mosquitoes are said to be responsible for about 50% of human deaths over the ages.   It's a serious threat in many parts of the world, and increasingly in the US and Europe.   

     I'm not fond of chemicals, but I do use them carefully.  Probably the safest chemical for insect control is permethrin which is a synthetic copy of pyrethrum, the naturally occurring insecticide found in chrysanthemums, "enhanced" to increase it's longevity and toxicity to insects.  It is a contact insecticide which insects will absorb through their feet even when dry, but is fairly harmless to humans and other mammals with the exception of cats for some reason.   It should  not be inhaled of course, and dry is not absorbed at all by people, so is commonly used in treating clothing in areas where ticks and such are a problem.   The product Atroban which is a high percentage of permethrin is intended to be sprayed in dairy barns, etc to control flies by creating a treated surface where they are likely to walk on it and take it up through their feet.   Another version is Permectrin, which is widely used in cattle oilers....  Those things you see out in the pasture with a metal frame and a fabric roller for cattle to rub on.   I've used both of these plus permethrin SFR (36.8%) for many years for insect control in the house.   I dilute with water, and using a brush and rubber gloves, I carefully paint it on the woodwork around windows, around lights, etc.... anywhere where flies typically walk, and paths were other insects are inclined to enter.   When dry it is invisible and odorless, and any insect that walks on it has a life expectancy of just minutes.   It will kill spiders, roaches, ants, ticks, fleas  (it is used in flea collars).  It also will kill bees and wasps and hornets, so should not be used indiscriminately.   It's also used for moth control... specifically the moths that eat clothing.

   Here's one Utube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDlq7g5DTyk   There are a number of them on permethrin.

      I'm personally very careful in how I use these products.  They can be extremely effective, and are inexpensive.


                                                                                                                                      H.W.

[CapnK]

Thanks Owly, that is some good and interesting info. I always think of pesticides as some heavily toxic, human-mutating chemical, didn't know that those are mostly safe for use around humans. Good idea to put it on the fly "landing strips"; they do seem to favor certain places. Grog!