Ordinary Wisdom
[Marilyn] Anyone raising cattle, heads up >
[Mick] Never heard of the screwworm. But if I were concerned about having to deal with it someday, I’d have homeopathics such as Cina 6X and Teucrium marum verum 200C on hand. I’d also have herbal tinctures like Wormwood, Gentian, Mugwort, Cloves, Black Walnut, and Pau d’Arco (and I’d probably use a blend of some or all of these).
[Marilyn] Mick, if people want to get these would Anne have them?
[Mick] Yep, Anne would have the homeopathics. The herbs one would have to get from someplace like Mountain Rose or Mountain Maus. Oh… and I forgot to mention in my comment above: I’d also want to have some veterinary Ivermectin on hand; I don’t know if it would work for screwworms, but it seems it might be worth trying.
[Susan] I was able to read the article. They were once eradicated thru sterile fly drops. It seems this is the best way to proceed. I guess they want to increase production, but fear they won’t be able to do so in a timely fashion.
[Mick] That’s precisely the problem: the powers-that-be don’t think they can ramp up the supply of sterile flies in time to do big enough drops in order to eradicate the screwworms before they advance the last 700 miles north to the Texas border. It does appear that, barring direct intervention from God, it is a question if when (not if) the screwworm will end up in the US. And although the article discussed cattle, I would suspect that people with other ruminant or grazing livestock might want to prepare for the worst while hoping and praying for the best.
[Marilyn] Maybe we could put a class together for this summer with various people who have knowledge in veterinary science, homeopathy and tinctures.
[Mick] That’s a great idea, Marilyn. Maybe after the Conference.
[Mick] Another possibility for addressing the screwworm: If they do breach the US, then if somebody can get hold of a few, then a homeopathic remedy could be made from them. I’m going to dig around and see if the remedy (Cochliomyia hominivorax) is commercially available.
Here are a couple of interesting articles about the homeopathic treatment of screwworm:
Article 1 > (Sulphur 12CH as the remedy used), and Article 2 > (both Sulphur 12CH and Pyrogenium 12CH were tested).
[Marilyn] They made I topical ointment using either Sulphur or Pyrogenium. What don’t understand is why they didn’t try giving it to them in their mouth.
[Mick] I was wondering that, too. If I were treating my sheep and goats, I would definitely be giving the remedy orally as well as using it topically. And honestly, I’d probably use a combination of Sulphur and Pyrogenium, rather than trying one or the other. By the way, the 12CH potency and the 12C potency should be interchangeable; and Helios carries both Sulphur and Pyrogenium in 12C.
[Timothy] How about Cayenne?
[Mick] Great question, Tim. Although Cayenne does have some efficacy against some types of parasites, it is not generally used or known as an antiparasitic. Its usefulness would likely also depend on the heat index of the peppers, the growing conditions (hot peppers grown in hot, sunny, dry conditions are hotter than those grown in cooler, cloudier, wetter conditions). And as a practical matter, although it would be easy to apply topically to an animal that has screwworms, it would be nearly impossible to administer orally… after the first dose, you’d never be able to catch or hold onto the cow/goat/sheep long enough to administer it. If you have raw garlic, one could try giving lots and lots of it to the animal in the hopes that it would help (garlic is a decent antiparasitic against some types of parasites). But honestly, if I were dealing with screwworms, I would absolutely want to have on hand the big-gun herbs that have traditionally been used as antiparasitics across various cultures on several continents. Black Walnut (North America), Wormwood (Europe), Cloves (Asia), Mugwort (Africa, Asia, Europe), Gentian (Europe), and Pau d’Arco (South America) is a tincture blend that would fit this description very well. If I lived in Texas or one of the other Southwestern states, I would buy a pound of each of these herbs. I would tincture them separately, according to the formulae in Richo Cec’s book (Making Plant Medicine, 4th Edition) or Stephen Harrod Buhner’s book (Herbal Antibiotics, 2nd Edition). I’d store them in canning jars in a dark, not-too-hot place; and when needed, I would mix equal parts of the 6 tinctures in a smaller jar and then administer the blend both orally and topically. Six pounds of herbs would make about 300 fluid ounces of tincture. That’s a bit shy of 2 1/2 gallons. It sounds like a lot; but if screwworms become a problem here, I’d want to have a lot of the tincture. However, I’d also want to have the
homeopathics Cina and Teucrium, and perhaps a couple of others. And if for financial reasons or storage-space reasons I had to make a choice between having the tinctures or the homeopathics, I’d go with the homeopathics. Ideally, though, I’d have both so that I could take
a “kitchen sink;” approach.
P.S. Several of the herbs on this list (and their close botanical relatives) are available in homeopathic form. Here are the homeopathic names for the various herbs: (1) Wormwood… Absinthium artemisia; (2) Mugwort… Artemisia vulgaris; (3) Gentian… Gentiana lutea; (4) Black Walnut… Juglans nigra; (5) Cloves… Syzygium aromaticum. Helios in England carries all of these; but to find the Cloves on their website, you have to search for “clove” rather than for the Latin name. I have not been able to find Pau d’Arco in homeopathic form. Additionally, besides Wormwood and Mugwort (also from the Wormwood group of plants), there are other Wormwood relatives that are good for parasites and that are available form Helios: (1) Southernwood… Abrotanum artemisia; (2) Sweet Annie/Sweet Wormwood… Artemisia annua. For those who are so inclined, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have some or all of these remedies on hand for parasites. I should also note that Cina (one of the top homeopathic remedies for parasites) is actually a Wormwood relative; the Latin name is Artemisia maritima.
[Susan ] Mick, what potencies? All, I’m guessing.
[Mick] If I were going to buy the remedies in only one potency, I’d go with the lowest potency that Helios has available. If I were going to buy each of them in 2 potencies, I’d probably get the lowest potency and also a 200C, just to hedge my bets.
[Marilyn] Is this affecting only mammals or all animals?
[Timothy] Ya, I was kinda of wondering about humans…. because I have a half gallon of cayenne tincture that I would use to lay waste to these screwworms… in my stomach (andblood stream).
[Mick] Screwworms mainly affect mammals, but they can also infect birds. So theoretically, chickens and ducks could be targets, especially on farms that also have cattle or sheep or goats. Humans are susceptible. Here are a couple of articles with good information:
Article 1 >, and Article 2 >.
[Mick] Good idea. Problem is that the screwworm fly lays eggs in a cut or in an open wound or in the nasal passages. When the eggs hatch, the maggots burrow into the tissue and eat the live tissue. So it’s not a bloodstream parasite or a GI parasite. Therefore Cayenne probably wouldn’t
be very helpful.
[Marilyn] Might have to learn how to make those mosquito nets for sleeping.
[Mick] Pious use of sacramentals would also be a good thing. I'm thinking blessed and exorcised holy water and salt, St. Benedict medals (which have long been used against pests and pestilence), Miraculous Medals, etc. The rosary, the Brazen Serpent Prayer, the Divine Mercy Chaplet, and St. Patrick’s Lorica are other helps. I’m so thankful that God and the Church have given us so many helps for times such as these.
[Kelly] This is interesting to me. We have had problems w flies laying eggs on cattle and the larvae hatching since we moved to Texas. We currently have 12 head of cattle. No problems with any other animals, except these blasted annoying flies. But this year in particular they are really all over the heads of our cattle. So i have been trying to figure out how to help them. especially since they are somewhat non-domesticated so its hard to get close enough to spray them. But here I’d heard them called Bot Flies, so I looked it up and they are very similar to the screwworm. It makes me think its more of the same… you know.. https://www.cdc.gov/dpdx/myiasis/ … So I’ll be trying out Mick’s remedies in their water troughs see if that helps!
[Mick] Thanks for this, Kelly. I read somewhere else that the screwworm flies are also called bot flies. At the H&W Zoom on Sunday, Kim mentioned that she’l be trying Mozi-Q (a homeopathic combination remedy) for prophylaxis to keep the flies off of her animals. One of the main ingredients in Mozi-Q is Staphysagria. Perhaps Mozi-Q or Staphysagria in your water troughs might also help.
[Karen] We have bot flies here in Montana. Ivermectin works on them. It’s gross. The larvae get inside and then they bore their way out of the animal. My friend’s dog had one and I’ve seen dead chipmunks with the holes in their bodies. Ivermectin also works on screwworms >
[Marilyn] Ivermectin will kill some dogs!
[Natalie] I know Ivermectin is not recommended for English Sheepdogs and German Shepherds. I’m not sure of other breeds but my Schnoodle (poodle / schnauzer) has no issue with it. I guess if you’re not sure of your dog breed, be cautious about it. There are blood tests they can do
nowadays to tell you their bloodlines.
[Susan] I have a question…you mentioned you needed Mozi-Q on a regular basis or it didn’t work. Wouldn’t this be the same with animals? Then would it be a good think to constantly keep these homeopathics in their system, even in the low potencies? If so, could the Mozi-Q interfere with other homeopathic treatment that may be indicated? Then that got me wondering if a topical, like Wondercide, might be more of a deterrent? I know we spray our dogs daily, and they smell pleasantly lemon-cedar-y.
[Mick] Yes, Mozi-Q needs to be taken every few hours when the bug pressure is heavy (in the height of mosquito season here in Michigan, I take it every 45-60 minutes when I’m outside). It does not seem to interfere with any other remedies that I might be taking. (For instance, if I twist my ankle while I’m working in the garden, the Arnica works even if I’;m also taking Mozi-Q). So yes, the cattle would need the remedy frequently; and they would get frequent doses when they drink from their watering troughs. If Kelly were to put herbs into the troughs along with the remedy, then that wouldn’t present a problem. If she were to have multiple prophylactic remedies in the water simultaneously, that wouldn’t be a problem. Where it might get tricky would be having remedies for prophylaxis in the water for some animals, while simultaneously having treatment remedies in the same trough for those animals that might be infested with the bot flies and screwworms. If it were me and my cattle, I’d probably be comfortable with putting Mozi-Q, Sulphur, Pyrogenium, and Silica together in the water trough. Or if I had two troughs, I’d probably put the prophylactic remedies in one and the treatment remedies in the other, and then let the cattle choose. I have no experience with this approach; but Kim and others have said that when they’ve done something like this, their animals will drink from the water that they need (from the medicated water if they’re ill, and from the non-
medicated water if they’re not).
[Susan] TY! Good points about farm animals!! What about household pets—dogs and cats? Not thinking about screwworm, but rather mosquitos and heartworm. Yikes, that was an important piece I left out!
[Mick] Kim was talking about heartworm at the meeting on Sunday. I think she mentioned Nux vomica, but I can’t remember how often. And as far as Mozi-Q, I’d probably put it in my dogs’ water all summer. I mean, I take it several times a day, several days a week when I’m out with the mosquitoes; so I figure that the frequent dosing wouldn’t hurt my dogs either.
[Susan] I think it was Cina 6x that she mentioned as heartworm specific. Which made me want to ask you about Cina 3x! I wonder if there is any advantage to the lower 3x?
[Mick] Could be that she said Cina; there was so much good information being tossed around at the Zoom meeting that I can’t keep it all straight in my head. And speaking of Cina, that would be one of the remedies that I would put into my cattle’s “treatment” water trough along with the Sulphur etc., if I were in Texas and had cattle infested with bot flies and screwworms. In my mind, either 3X or 6X would be fine. I say this because I know that the Wormwoods (Common Wormwood, Mugwort, Southernwood, Cina, etc.) are all very effective in the tincture form; and the 3X potency is closer to the tincture form than the 6X potency is. So I’d be comfortable using Cina 3X if I had it and not the 6X.
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