The Great Outdoors Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for people who love being outdoors enjoying nature and wilderness, and learning about the required skills and equipment. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
Sulfur has been used for centuries to get ride of nasty little bugs that infest the warm places we like to sleep.
Assuming I have found natural sulfur sources can they be used to effectively and safely de-louse my camp? If so what is the best way to do it?
Yes, sulfur is non toxic and very effective at controlling the itching and repelling horse lice, body lice and other mites.
But that said, I would not recommend delousing your entire camp with sulfur.
I would recommend getting out of there and once back home clean up everything immediately, using acceptable means and then and only then return to the great outdoors at a later time.
Here's the thing. I am a pesticide applicator and according to the law, you could be in serious trouble if this was done on provincial lands, especially if any damage was caused by such actions.
Here is what my course book has to say about sulfur:
Sulphur is an element long used as a combination fungicide-miticide-insecticide, available in a variety of formulas for the control of a wide range of plant diseases. May injure plants in hot, dry weather. It is phytotoxic to certain sulphur-sensitive plants such as pears, apricots, raspberries and cucurbits. Relatively non toxic to humans, animals and bees, but may be irritating to the eyes and skin. - Handbook For Pesticide Applicators and Dispensers (Page 95).
What you are suggesting is against the law in Canada. Only authorized persons can do it in the forests and they are usually government personnel.
Applying pesticide in any form, whether a natural element or not, is not permitted in the forest lands of Canada. I would think most countries have similar laws in place.
If lice are a problem, go back to town, get the necessary supplies, and deal with it the right way.
Yes it can be fun to play mountain man and try to source everything from the land. But that usually results in ecological damage. This scenario is no exception.
