Somehow I had a need for tar: voles started running around in the garden, the Colorado potato beetle was infested, and the wooden shed needed to be tarred. The pharmacies only sold small tubes of tar; they definitely wouldn’t have been enough for me. Remembering how to make birch tar at home, I went to the forest, collected birch bark and tried it the next day. There was a lot of tar, I had enough for everything and still had some left.
Source womond.com
What is it used for?
When figuring out how to make birch tar with your own hands, you should start with why it is needed in the first place.
Tar is a liquid obtained by dry distillation of wood. Birch tar is boiled in special retort pots made of birch bark. The composition is thick, oily, but non-sticky, has a black color with a greenish or bluish tint, as well as a specific odor. The latter is especially noticeable at high tar concentrations.
It is worth noting that if the tar is sticky, then it contains another resin, for example, pine. Birch tar does not stick.
Birch tar is used in various fields:
- In the garden: it protects against the Colorado potato beetle, mosquito, mole cricket, ants, aphids, flies, rodents, hares, mice and other insects and pests. It is noteworthy that the tar does not kill them, but only drives them away;
- For impregnation of wooden products and lubrication of parts;
- As a wheel lubricant;
- Like glue;
- To protect leather products: in Rus', boots and harnesses were lubricated with tar so that the latter would not rot, dry out or tan at low temperatures;
- As a raw material for subsequent processing;
- Tar is a natural antiseptic that disinfects humans well;
Source otnogi.ru
- When choosing how to prepare tar at home, it is worth remembering that it is also used in medicine. Use the product only externally, in pure form or as part of preparations. In folk medicine, tar can be used internally, but it is better not to do this: tar contains carcinogens. The latter cannot be removed, since the beneficial properties are also lost;
- In veterinary medicine, the remedy is used for lichen; it is used to treat the hooves of cattle.
Non-contact repellent
Ready-made repellents based on tar have been developed. Yuri Tkachenko [2] patented a utility model - it is a material impregnated with tar that should repel insects. It is similar to mosquito repellent plates used in fumigators. This product can also be attached to clothing or a branch, where it will also repel insects.
For the device to work, it must be heated. But since it can be worn on clothing, then the repellent should cope without additional heating.
Preparing to produce tar at home
You can easily buy tar at a pharmacy or make it yourself. The second option is preferable, since the result is a pure natural product. The production of tar is called tar smoking or tar smoking. This is an old production: in Rus' they have been doing this since the 12th century.
In industry, the production of the substance is a simple process: birch bark is placed in closed devices where air does not enter. heated to +250-300 degrees, after which the birch bark begins to decompose into water, gases and tar.
Birch bark itself is mined in different ways:
- They use leftovers from a wood processing plant. When peeling blanks, the birch bark is removed and given away. This is an inexpensive and profitable method.
- The top cork layer is removed from the growing tree. The bast layer is no longer suitable. This is a labor-intensive and expensive process.
Source rusunion.com
Making tar at home begins with removing birch bark using the second method. Anyone can use it. It is important to remove bark correctly for tar:
- It is necessary to use a special cutter knife with a limiter. This device allows you to remove only the necessary top layer, which will grow back in a few years without damaging the tree.
- You can make preparations until the fall, but most often it is done in the spring, when the juices begin to flow. At this time, the birch bark is easily separated. Most often this time falls at the end of May and lasts up to 40 days.
- Birch bark is removed from trees 50-70 years old at a distance of 3-4 meters from the roots. The diameter of the trunk must be at least 12 cm.
- It is not advisable to cut down trees. In industry, birch bark is usually removed from trees that will be cut down in a few years.
To obtain 0.5 kg of tar you will need 2-2.5 kg of birch bark. It is necessary to make an incision at the top and bottom, then pull off a strip of bark.
Insect repellent sprays, lotions and aerosols
The most popular and easy to use drugs. You can spray the product on anything: clothes, body, head (hair), any objects in the room (except heating devices and elements).
Minuses:
- it is necessary to provide protection for the eyes and respiratory tract when spraying;
- not all drugs are approved for children;
- used in limited quantities during the day/night;
- sometimes have a pungent odor.
Drugs in this group provide protection for 5-6 hours or more and have a 100% result. Some repellents are alcohol-based and do not contain additional caring ingredients, so they require the subsequent use of nourishing creams (after taking a bath or shower) to moisturize the skin. Spray lotions contain skin softening components. Sprays have been developed for treating clothing, tents, etc. with a significant period of protection.
Manufacturing process
First of all, you need to prepare the containers. You will need two dishes:
- Small for collecting finished tar;
- More for birch bark. The container should have a tight-fitting lid and a small hole in the bottom through which the tar will flow out.
The larger container must be connected to the smaller one so that there are no gaps or holes between them. Air should not pass inside the large container.
Source blogspot.com
Next you need to make a fire. When figuring out how to get birch tar at home, don’t forget about safety. You need to make a fire in an open area away from fire-hazardous buildings. They dig a hole in the ground, place a small dish inside, a large one above it, and cover them with firewood. Shredded birch bark is placed inside the latter and closed with a lid. To prevent air from getting inside, the lid is pressed down with a brick or the joint is covered with clay. The lid can also be covered with firewood so that the heat comes from everywhere.
Now all that remains is to light the fire and wait. The process will begin when the temperature inside rises to +650 degrees. Tar will begin to separate and flow into the pan below. When finished, you need to let it cool, then pour it into a storage container and you can use it. A dark glass bottle with a tight-fitting cap is suitable for storage.
It will take several hours to obtain birch tar: at a temperature of +600-650 degrees it will take 1.5-2 hours. Burnt birch bark can be used as birch coals.
You can see clearly how the tar production process occurs in the video
How to recognize the presence of parasites in the body
Ideally, you need to undergo all conceivable and inconceivable tests that will reveal the presence of “territory invaders” in your body.
But be prepared for the fact that the doctor will not give you a referral for free tests. The fact is that the wording “Doctor, I want to find out if I have parasites” is not accepted by doctors, since insurance organizations only pay for the diagnosis and treatment of real, not perceived problems. And one more minus: in some cases, tests are normal, but there are parasites in the body... In general, seeking medical help does not guarantee one hundred percent success and will cost a pretty penny. So, if you suspect the presence of parasites, get tested yourself, at least the two most important ones: feces for worm eggs and a smear for genital tract infections. These tests will identify those forms of parasitosis that require immediate treatment under the supervision of a physician.
If the results are negative and you feel generally good, then most likely you are healthy and you do not need to cleanse your body of parasites. But if you have a number of symptoms that allow you to suspect an infection, then you cannot do without cleaning.
The presence of parasites in the body is indicated by weight loss, bowel movements, weakness, unclear deterioration in overall health, changes in appetite, and unhealthy appearance.
For children - pay attention! – their presence is often indicated by unclear skin symptoms similar to psoriasis or allergic reactions
Cleansing the body with birch tar: who needs it?
Traditional doctors claim that birch tar is a remedy for a large number of common diseases. It helps to bring metabolic processes to normal values, normalize blood circulation and blood structure, due to which the condition of absolutely all organs in the body is restored.
Birch tar will help get rid of the following health difficulties:
- removal of toxic elements, salt deposits, cholesterol formations;
- getting rid of parasites: helminths, lice, ticks and other harmful organisms - this fact is helped by the pronounced disinfecting qualities of tar;
- improvement of the skin - tar has regenerating and antiseptic qualities, for this reason it can effectively eliminate rashes, acne, and dry out oily skin;
- normalization of the gastrointestinal tract - birch tar normalizes the motility of the intestinal tract, heals damage to the mucous membranes, heals painful microflora, restores enzymatic dynamism;
- cleansing the blood flow, resulting in the normalization of all organs;
- improvement of hair condition - tar reduces the oiliness of the scalp, restores the structure, and eliminates the appearance of dandruff.
Important information! Birch tar helps to lose excess weight, which is quite normal after cleansing of impurities and restoring the functionality of the excretory system.
Like many cleansing procedures, cleansing the body with birch tar can only be carried out in a relatively good state of health - during remission of chronic diseases.
For the destruction of mosquitoes, midges and midges
With the onset of summer, gardeners and gardeners begin to be pestered by mosquitoes and midges. Most people are accustomed to dealing with these pests in a very simple way, which consists of purchasing and using special products that repel midges with their smell.
However, no matter how good these remedies are, it is best to avoid them. If you carefully study their composition, you will notice that there is solid chemistry in the form of substances of synthetic origin. Therefore, it is recommended to use tar to get rid of mosquitoes and midges.
You can purchase ready-made meshes, then thoroughly soak them in tar and then distribute them around the perimeter of the site. However, it should be remembered that in order to be completely protected from insects, the nets must be fastened very tightly to each other, since even through a small gap insects can get inside a poorly protected garden.
PS
Due to the fact that there is currently a COVID-19 pandemic in the world, I would like to recommend one old Siberian, but effective recipe for using tar to prevent influenza, ARVI and colds, and possibly COVID-19.
Before leaving home, open a bottle of pharmaceutical tar and smell the contents for a few minutes. Yes, the smell is not like perfume, but you and I carry out disease prevention, and here all methods are good. Tar essential oils will prevent viruses and germs from clinging to you. When you get home, do the same! And no nasty thing will be able to penetrate your body! Be healthy!
