[Cob] fleas/ticks in sand

[Shody Ryon]

I am not a cob builder, I agree with Dulane accept I am slight more sure no insect or anything else would live in a high of a pH environment as lime would provide. We were not adding it to compost because it would kill things that digested compost.
Some plants like lime, but in small amounts to balance acid pH and as a source of calcium, but plants like beneficial organisms too, so ...

My first though was to cover a thin layer of material, maybe one inch thick, with plastic to let it bake in the sun for a few days. I also wonder if doing anything is necessary. I do not think they will take kindly to being made into cob, and if they do, there is a torch that is commonly used for roofing and burning weeds, it is a nasty short range flame thrower and it is a common tool, the house, after it is done, if anything is coming out of the walls, I say torch it! then a few days later do it again and if that doesn't do it call the discover channel, you'll have discovered a unique life form! Maybe.
the walls will likely need to be very dry to do this; to run a torch for more than 3 or 4 seconds, or may not even that long in one location and very dry walls may also mean no critters living there, so if you have any problems, and the walls are drying slowly, maybe running a torch over all the cob surfaces for a second or two to dry out the cob, the dryer it gets the longer and more it could be heated, so perhaps a daily routine to slowly dry it out over time? I am guessing about all this.

Another idea just came to mind, a farmer or anyplace that makes compost, sometimes they sterilize compost. Mushroom growers do, you could take the earth there. Well it may not be practical or cost effective. They may give you ideas though.

Try making cob with some fleas and ticks in it and see if they stay there.

Some ceramic glazing is non toxic and high in mineral content that the critters may not like, so if you find one that you like the color of that you could get at a reasonable cost in 5 gallon buckets, if that is the amount you would need, paint it on a little cob test wall and see if they come through it? 

Shody