Infusion from chirimolle leaves as a remedy against fleas

During the past few weeks, some animals in Mollesnejta showed signs of the presence of fleas. To fight against these parasites, we decided to make an infusion based on the foliage of a native tree: the Chirimolle (Zanthoxylum coco).

Chirimolle, signifying in Quechua the Molle tree of the cold, is an evergreen tree native to the Andean region. It is a medium-sized tree that has a distinctive unpleasant smell and abundant, evergreen foliage with spines all around the trunk, branches, and surrounding the leaves.

Preparing the infusion is a simple straightforward process that involves:

1. Pruning the branches of the tree then separating the foliage into a bucket
2. Grinding the foliage so that the leaves start secreting their oils
   
3. Adding boiled water to the leaves, mixing well, and letting it infuse
   
4. Straining the infusion
   
5. Diluting the infusion with water
6. and, finally, applying the diluted infusion to the affected animals