Preparing for the Browntail’s

An interesting headline caught my eye as I happen to live within the affected area, and I began to wonder; how often do we take into account when planning for the coming times the once in a blue moon problems that can cause serious problems because we failed to address those same problems in our emergency and disaster planning?

Take these Browntailed moth caterpillars in the following story:

AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Maine Forest Service is warning residents in five towns to be alert to widespread infestations of Browntail moth caterpillars. Officials say the caterpillars are most prevalent in Topsham, Bath, West Bath, Brunswick and Bowdoinham. Forest service entomologist Charlene Donahue says the caterpillar is toxic and can leave people with poison ivy-like skin rashes or respiratory problems…

A seemingly innocuous insect can do a good job at waylaying our plans when we least expect it, and if we haven't prepared for the occasion, we could be in for a rough time of it. Here's what the State of Maine has to say about the issue:

BROWNTAIL MOTH PRECAUTIONS

The browntail moth caterpillar has tiny (0.15mm) poisonous hairs capable of causing a dermatitis similar to poison ivy on sensitive individuals. People may develop the dermatitis or skin rash directly from contact with the larvae or indirectly from contact with airborne hairs. The hairs become airborne either from being dislodged from living or dead larvae or may be associated with the cast skins which result from larval molting. Most people affected by the hairs develop a localized rash which will last for a few hours up to a few days, but on some sensitive individuals the rash can be severe and persist for weeks. The rash results from both a chemical reaction to a toxin in the setae and a physical irritation as the barbed setae become embedded in the skin. Respiratory distress from inhaling the hairs has been reported (11% of the population in one health survey) and can be very serious.

The following precautions may help people living in or visiting browntail moth infested areas during the period from June through August:

Avoid places heavily infested by caterpillars when possible. Campers should plan their stays on uninfested islands.

Take a cool shower and change clothes after any activity that might involve contact with the browntail moth hairs.

Dry laundry inside during June and July to avoid the hairs becoming impregnated in the clothing.

Wear respirator, goggles and coveralls tightly closed at neck, wrists and ankles when performing activities that stir up caterpillar hairs such as:

mowing
raking
weed whacking
removing pupal webbing from eaves and boats

Contact with the hairs can be minimized doing task such as above by working on damp days or wetting down materials with a hose or damp cloth as moisture helps keep the hairs from becoming airborne.

Use caution cleaning debris left by the caterpillars because the toxin is extremely stable and remains a hazard for a number of years. Summer residents should bear this in mind when opening cottages that have been closed all winter as the hairs frequently settle over the winter and may be contacted during spring cleaning. Wet mopping prior to vacuuming or dusting is recommended.

Consult your physician if you develop a severe reaction to the Browntail moth.

Be aware that chances of contacting the hairs are increased during dry windy conditions.

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When we look at our preparedness plans, make sure you include suitable precautions against the insect world and the harm they may cause to us. Poisonous bugs abound, and many times we are not even aware of their presence. We generally think about spiders, scorpions, centipedes and so on, but a tiny little caterpillar? You can go here for the low down on symptoms and find out whether you've made contact with the little buggers and what to do about it.

The poisonous hairs act as a defense against being a food source, but the end result for we humans is that severe rashes and breathing problems become the result of coming into contact. Benadryl and other anti-histamines can work to alleviate some of the symptoms and there are a few creams that will work on the rash end of the problem. However, when we have to evacuate into uncharted territory, or even just working around our survival homestead, which may be little more than a weekend place for some of us, we really need to be aware that there is always some unseen factor that can screw up our highly tuned plans.

So, realize that it isn't just the big one, the super societal melt down, or whatever catastrophe you feel may happen that we need to prepare for, it's all the hundreds of mundane little thinks that rarely even come to mind that we need to prepare for as well.

Shopping for the long haul

It's been an interesting few weeks watching the value of our currency decline in the world markets, but that can have good consequences here in Maine. The value of the Canadian Dollar has increased to a level that is now on par with the American dollar, so if you want to jump across the border to pick up some supplies, you don't have to mess with the exchange rates to make sure you are getting what you think you are. A buck is a buck is a buck, both here in the US and to our lovely neighbor to the north.

I mention that because there really is no reliable retailer for preparedness supplies here in Maine, but we have a new company (http://www.basiclifeessentials.com ) across the border in New Brunswick you may want to take a look at. I haven't bought anything from them, so I cannot vouch for their reliability, and their online catalog is still under construction, so you'll have to contact them for prices. I'm told they are starting another operation for the northern New England market, so we'll see how that comes out.

One of the problems that seem to be worsening here in Maine is the ready availability of survival and preparedness supplies and equipment without having to go out of state or do your business online. That kind of sucks, but we've little that can be done about it. What few places claim to sell long term products are really little more than army-navy stores, commonly referred to as military surplus dealers. Not much from these sources, I am afraid to say.

That said, I have a comment/question for any Mainer's reading this post.

I'd like to see if we can get a listing of as many places within Maine, or within an easy drive from anywhere in the state, that are potential sources of possible long term supplies and equipment for the Prepper community. There are many shops that deal in things like alternative heating systems and fuels, generators, solar equipment, foods and food preparation, small farm suppliers and so forth that don't advertise in the normal resources the preparedness community would frequent. That is mostly because they don't consider themselves as preparedness suppliers.

I don't want to do this as an advertising stunt, but I believe it would be of tremendous benefit to other Mainers to know where we can go to get some supplies and maybe some advice on different products on a first hand basis, rather than on the internet, where you may not have your questions answered as well as you'd like them to be all the time. If you'd like to take part in developing a stronger preparedness community here in Maine, simply leave your thoughts in the comment box, or drop me an email if you'd rather.

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One of the things happening in Maine now is a reduction in police and firefighting staffing in many communities across the state. This will leave some smaller communities with no ability to quickly respond in the event of a major disaster. Some towns are contracting their police, fire and ambulance services to nearby towns leaving some towns completely without these services. This would be a good time for us to start looking at volunteering or participating in the emergency planning functions of these smaller towns.

For those of us that have been learning the ropes of preparedness for a while, it should be of some benefit to the community. After all, the community we live in is home, and we should look after our own homes, shouldn't we?

As a couple of other notes, I understand that there may be some changes in the works for some inland waterway flood zone changes, although I haven't been able to determine exactly what those changes will be. I believe that most of the change will culminate in a reduction of available assistance to those living in recurring heavy flood areas, so if you live in one of these areas, keep up with the changes to avoid problems down the road.

Also, don't forget that even with the record and near record rains, the dry Canadian air is coming back, and with it the winds will pick up. Be aware of the possibility for wildfires over the next couple of weeks if you live out of town.

MEMA News:

• 04/08/2010: Maine CERT's Recognized in National CERT Newsletter
  
• 04/07/2010: State Dam Inspector Determines "No Breach" of Colcord Pond Dam.
  
• 04/01/2010: Call 2-1-1 to Learn About Flood Recovery Options and Report Flood Damages