Fleas

[Wildthang]

Wow ressurect the dead thread haha.

If I remember correctly my curiousity was more towards primitive ways. I know DEET works but I was wondering back in the day, did Indians just learn to live with them? Did they have an excellent method to repel them? I mean they had to be everywhere with all the game mamals...

For a natural flea repellant just totally coat your exposed skin in pine tar, but dont lean against anything because you might get stuck to it

[RandyRhoads]

Hahahaha. Anyone have any input on the Indians? Is it safe to assume they were flea ridden and accepted it?.... I don't even know where you could find that out...

[Wildthang]

The American Indians would put a candle in the middle of a bowl of water, the fleas being attracted to heat and light would jump into the water and drown................true story! It would trap a large number of fleas and keep them from being totally infested.

[Pale E O]

Heard about California Indians using California Bay Laurel Umbellularia californica) years ago. My son, then in grade school decided to try it out as part of his science fair exhibit. He managed to collect nearly 30 fleas from the family dog, dropped them into plastic bottles with a small bit of moistened cotton. To some of the bottles he added all or part of a California Bay leaf. 100% of the fleas in the bay leaf bottles were dead within hours. A few of the others were dead too, but the results were pretty dramatic. Besides showing the leaf acts as an insecticide, it provided endless amusement, stirring up a fuss at the science fair and many later recountings of the story..."remember the year you did the bay leaf experiment?"

But then, DEET works pretty well and you don't have to climb into a bottle with it for it to work. I would think though that putting that fresh animal into a bag full of bruised leaves might do the trick.

If you try it, I would love to hear if it works.

[1stimestar]

I know historically people would put herbs into the rushes that covered their floors to keep out fleas.

[RandyRhoads]

Heard about California Indians using California Bay Laurel Umbellularia californica) years ago. My son, then in grade school decided to try it out as part of his science fair exhibit. He managed to collect nearly 30 fleas from the family dog, dropped them into plastic bottles with a small bit of moistened cotton. To some of the bottles he added all or part of a California Bay leaf. 100% of the fleas in the bay leaf bottles were dead within hours. A few of the others were dead too, but the results were pretty dramatic. Besides showing the leaf acts as an insecticide, it provided endless amusement, stirring up a fuss at the science fair and many later recountings of the story..."remember the year you did the bay leaf experiment?"

But then, DEET works pretty well and you don't have to climb into a bottle with it for it to work. I would think though that putting that fresh animal into a bag full of bruised leaves might do the trick.

If you try it, I would love to hear if it works.

That is awesome, next time i'm collecting Bay Laurel leaves/nuts I will give it a shot. Thanks.