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Sealed apple cider vinegar should not need to be refrigerated, but needs to be stored in a dark and relatively cool place. Officially the shelf life of apple cider vinegar is five years from the bottling date, however many people report that if kept cool and in a dark location it will remain safe and usable for an indefinite period of time.

It is reported that apple cider vinegar (not juice) may be used as a wart remover. Take a small piece of cotton swab and fully soak it in apple cider vinegar. Put over the wart until the liquid stops coming out of the swab. Keep the swab on, and carefully wipe dry the rest of the area. Apply a band aid to keep the cotton swab in place and leave on for 24 hours. Remove the old swab, and immediately replace with a new one also soaked in apple cider vinegar. Repeat these steps 3 times (for a total of 4 swabs over 4 days). After about one to three days after the last swab is removed the wart should begin to dry up and come off.

Although Boric Acid is an item that is typically stored in bulk by rural survivalists (and ignored by those in the cities), having some on hand in suburban environments is recommended (although is a lower priority). Fortunately Boric Acid is very inexpensive and has an indefinite shelf-life.

Boric Acid is typically used to control roaches, termites, ants, silverfish, bedbugs and fleas: If an emergency continues for over six months, insect control will be very important. Boric Acid is easy to use, as it is just sprinkled under (or behind) cabinets, in attics, or under base boards. It is simply used as a ‘barrier’ that the insects will have to cross. For fleas, it typically is powdered into the carpets, bed linen or pet areas.

A homemade ant and roach bait can be made by dissolving 1 teaspoon boric acid powder and 10 teaspoons sugar into 2 cups of water. Dip cotton balls into the liquid to absorb as much water as possible, and leave the homemade bait where ants or roaches (but not humans or pets) may find them. Although not as effective as commercially made baits, if no other bait can be found this can be made cheaply and with items typically stored in survivalism based home.

Technically Boric Acid is a poison, and should never be inhaled or taken internally; however it takes considerable amounts to cause death in adult humans. The dry powder is abrasive to the insects’ exoskeleton, and if the insect ingests the poison, it affects their metabolism. There may be long term effects on humans that have as of yet gone undiscovered.

There are other uses for Boric Acid that will be less useful for the Suburban Survivalist, but make it a commodity that may be traded in a long term disaster: It is a mild acid, an antiseptic, flame retardant, can be used for minor burns when mixed as a salve, can be used as a eye wash, treat vaginal yeast and fungal infections, a preventative for athlete’s foot, can be used to treat certain types of ear infections (in humans and animals), and can be used in curing cattle and sheep skins.

In a disaster most cities and suburban environments may cease any insect control, and the likely hood of standing water in diverse places will increase greatly. This will lead to a massive mosquito population explosion during the warm seasons. Military mosquito nets are a great prep item for both health reasons and for sanity’s sake. Try visiting a local military surplus store to invest in a couple mosquito nets. They can be hung over a bed for sleeping, as a screen for a door or patio.

Those who are dependent on cigarettes often assume that they will be able to quit smoking when an emergency occurs. While others believe that storing several months’ worth of cigarettes will get them through the tough time.
However, consider that a massive emergency will be an extremely stressful time, it will probably be the worst time to consider kicking the nicotine habit.

In an emergency, a clear head is needed to survive. Being forced to quit smoking ‘cold turkey’ will prevent a clear head, cause shaky hands, increase stress levels for everyone and very likely cause rash (and unwise) decisions.

Rash and unwise decisions can be fatal.

No suburban survivalist’s home would be complete without candles. Have a large number of candles in storage is a key preparation, but ensure that you have several ‘ready for use’. On a fireplace mantle, corner desk, bar or any other convenient location have several larger candles (and maybe a few votives in glass jars) ready to go. Also keep a small box of matches or a lighter nearby and obvious (but out of a child’s reach). If at all possible have this location in a place that will get some natural starlight or in a room that has an emergency night light (that comes on automatically when power goes out).

This setup not only gives the sense of security of being able to see in the dark during an emergency, it also adds a location for a diversion safe. There are several places you can purchase these emergency candles for this setup, but make sure you find one that is a real burning candle manufactured with a weighted metal container inside. If the candle is used, the metal container will provide some protection to the contents. The extra weight makes the candle feel real when picked up (and not suspiciously light-weight).

When putting items in the candle, pack in tightly with cotton balls to keep the contents from moving when the candle is picked up and moved. If there is concern that this candle may appear ‘like others’, then as an added touch burn the candle some (but only if other candles in the display are burnt) so that it blends it to the soundings.

Diversion Candle Safe Here is an example of a diversion pillar candle safe that can be purchased. It has a 3.75” x 2.5” secret compartment, and is made of 100% vegetable candle wax. This site also sells other items like the M18 Taser (and other items) for self defense.

Chickens can be ready for slaughter at about 4 months, and will start laying at about 6 months. Laying hens will produce for about 3 years (decreasing each year).

Older hens and roosters that are more than a couple of years old are often called ‘stewing chickens’, because the meat will be tougher if fried; the slower cooking method tenderizes the meat.

To slaughter the chicken hold the bird by the legs, and let the head hang down. After a couple of seconds the chicken will calm down, and during this time put the body up next to a board and cut the head off with a hatchet or an axe (in a fast and decisive action to make a clean cut). The body will flop around for a couple of minutes (dripping blood and will probably make a mess). Let the blood drain for about 10 minutes.

Either skin the chicken or dip the dead chicken in scalding water for a few seconds (if plucking the chicken is desired).

The feather (not skin) can be added to the compost pile.

Only fertilized eggs will develop into chickens.

Do not wash the eggs. Store them at 50F to 60F for 7 to 10 days to gather several eggs. Put all the eggs in an incubator from 100F to 102F, and raise the humidity in the area. Chicken eggs will take an average 21 days to hatch. Put a mark on one side of the egg right away. For the first 17 days, rotate the eggs 3 times a day (so the yoke does not settle on one side of the egg). Do not rotate the eggs starting on day 18. On day 21 the eggs will start hatching, and (although tempting) it is important that the baby chick does not receive any assistance while hatching. The struggle to get out of the egg is vital to the chicks’ early development. Dispose of any eggs that have not hatched after 25 days.

If the temperature gets below 98 or above 105 for any more than a couple of hours it will completely kill all the baby chicks in the eggs.

Baby chicks can stay in the incubator for 24 hours without food and water. Chicks have all the food and water for survival for the first 48 hours of life, but after that they will require food and water to survive.

Put the baby chicks in a semi-large box with a light bulb turned on all the time. The chicks will natural move back and forth in the box to where the temperature is 95F. The baby chicks will need to stay in the box for 5 to 6 weeks, and the temperature can be dropped 5 degrees per week. As they get older, they will move further from the light, until they get to the edge of the box. At which point the light needs to be moved further away until the chicks move more towards the center of the box. This will keep them from getting too hot. It is not really critical to control the temperature in the box; however what is critical is to give a range of temperatures so the chicks can move to where the temperature is naturally right from them. As long as they are not huddled at the edge of the box or directly under the light, they should develop fine.

Put a small container in the box with water. Take each of the chicks and push their beak down into the water briefly so that they take the first drink (the same way that kittens are weaned).

Chickens lay eggs during the day (typically in the morning). Hens will lay the eggs in the darkest spot the can find, so set nesting boxes in the darkest part of the coop.

Eggs need to be gathered at least once per day, but preferably twice a day. The longer the eggs stay in the coop, the more likely it is that the chickens will develop a habit of pecking at the eggs (and destroying them). Also the sooner an egg is gathered, the cleaner it will be (so it will not need to be cleaned).

If an egg must be cleaned, try to wipe it clean without using water. If water must be used then use as little lukewarm water as possible. If eggs are cleaned with cold water the eggs will absorb the water through the shell (and cause early spoilage). Lukewarm water does not seem to have this problem.

Fresh eggs have a protective coating that is destroyed when coming into contact with water. In theory, eggs do not need to be refrigerated (but kept below 70F) if the protective coating stays undamaged. This can be complicated and is not advised for beginners, but with further research and experimenting this may be something that can tried (but with possible risks). It has been reported that eggs can be stored in this way for up to a week.

Eggs in the fridge can be stored for a couple of months; however some people report that they can be stored up to 6 months this way.

Waterglass is a clear liquid chemical that can be used to store eggs for 6 months or longer.

White Leghorns are a great egg laying hardy chicken. Under good conditions they will lay about 300 to 350 large white eggs a year, but the chicken itself stays very small, which means there is little meat when slaughtered. The rooster typically weighs in at 4 pounds, and the hens at 3 pounds. They are generally considered noisy, flighty, and easily excited. The White Leghorn will also produce more eggs on less feed than most other chicken breeds.

Plymouth Rocks (Black and white) are a dual purpose bird, and are a popular choice for the ‘backyard chicken’ in suburban areas, as well as a common choice to be raised as a pet. The average hen will lay about 200 eggs per year of varying color from light brown to medium brown with a touch of pink. Roosters will typically weight 9.5 pounds and hens about 7.5 pounds. Plymouth Rocks are generally very docile and tame easily; however in poor conditions they can become aggressive. There are seven sub-species of the Plymouth Rocks, each varying somewhat in size and egg production.

The Rhode Island Red is raised mostly for meat, but produce a large number of eggs as well. Roosters will typically weigh 8.5 pounds, and hens about 6.5 pounds. The hens will lay about 250 light brown medium-sized eggs a year. The Rhode Island Red is generally considered docile and quiet; however roosters may be aggressive towards young children or strangers. And both the hen and roosters are generally aggressive towards other breeds of chickens when in confinement.

Three good breed choices for a suburban survivalist are White Leghorns, Plymouth Rocks, and Rhode Island Reds (with the last two being the best of the three).

A rooster is needed to fertilize eggs to have baby chickens. Rooster’s can defend themselves very well, and have a strong sharp claw. Butcher them if they become aggressive, to keep the behavior contained and to prevent physical harm to the other chickens.

Chickens may do damage in a garden: They will peck at any item that is red (like strawberries and tomatoes), and may peck at other fruits and vegetables.

Put a pile of ash in the chicken coop. The chickens will roll in the ashes, and when it gets wet, creates lye in the feathers of the chickens that will kill lice and other insects that may infest the chickens.

In hot climates, make sure there is an area in the shade with adequate air flow.

Dogs may chase and kill chickens, for sport.