Question on permethrin use

[edhank]

So All this tick talk has got me really concerned. I've got some questions that hopefully you can offer some answers to:
* Do you treat all clothes? Shirts, pants, socks, etc?
* How many washings do you do before reapplying?
* Does treating pants with permethrin cause any issues with waders or other fishing gear?

I think I read somewhere that DEET is recommended for exposed skin. DEET scares the hell out of me cause it causes lymph nodes to swell, which I don't need any help with due to Epsgtein Barr/Mono flare ups. Plus its hard on fly lines, etc. Is this just silly of me to be worried about high strength DEET usage?

 

[PennypackFlyer]

I would be more concerned with your body absorbing the chemicals when you sweat.

 

[dryflyguy]

I quit using DEET years ago.

Been using Picardin with OK results

 

[Dave_W]

edhank wrote:
So All this tick talk has got me really concerned. I've got some questions that hopefully you can offer some answers to:
* Do you treat all clothes? Shirts, pants, socks, etc?
* How many washings do you do before reapplying?
* Does treating pants with permethrin cause any issues with waders or other fishing gear?

-Do not spray permethrin on your skin.

-Permethrin: I spray my fishing gear and outdoor clothes about once a month in summer. I only treat shoes, pants (mostly lower legs), and my fishing vest. I spray my hats with DEET to repel mosquitoes. Let the gear dry for about an hour before wearing the stuff.

-Do NOT spray permethrin on a cat.

- I'm not sure how many washings I get, but it is more than one.

-I have found no impact on the clothes with respect to wear or fading etc.

-Since permethrin is highly toxic to fish and aquatic insects, I don't spray it on my wading shoes or landing net. I do spray it on the upper part of my waders and hip boots.

-I find permethrin treatments to be highly effective at keeping ticks off me.

 

[Bamboozle]

I have been doing the Permethrin thing for years using a "soaking" kit that USED to be available from Sawyer that would do several garments at once. Now all they offer is a spray that is a pain to use and way more expensive so I went to Tractor Supply and buy the stuff they sell for treating animals which I dilute to the same percentage as the Sawyer stuff and soak my garments as before.

I treat my fishing hat, shirt & pants since that’s all that is exposed when I fish, plus I have been wearing an ExOfficio Bugs Away Bandanna around my neck for eons. I don't feel the need to treat socks but to be honest, when I bank fish it would probably be a good idea.

I treat my stuff once a year, in the spring and never wash it until the winter. I keep my shirt and pants in a large zip lock bag, which is supposed to make the treatment last longer.

I have never had any issues with reactions with waders or me but I do wear a T-shirt under my fishing shirt however my arms make direct contact as well as my neck with the bandanna.

As far as how long it lasts and stuff like that, this FAQ from Sawyer’s website should be helpful:

https://sawyer.com/insect-repellents/faqs/

The ExOfficio Bugs Away stuff is another option, albeit an expensive one but not messy. I bought their stuff for my wife to wear when she is puttering around our property.

Good luck!

 

[RLeep2]

Now that the FDA/EPA limit for Picaridin concentration is up at 20% or so, I don't see any reason to bother with DEET products and the potential liabilities, particularly to your equipment.

Previous legal maximum Picaridin of 7% or 15% wasn't as good as high percentage DEET. That has changed, IMO with the higher limits.

 

[pcray1231]

I do a few outfits, my main fishing outfits, each spring. Pants and shirts.

I should probably re-do them mid-summer after a few washes are in them, and sometimes I do, but I'm bad about it once in the swing of midseason. Usually more of a spring - preparing for the season type thing when you're washing lines, cleaning and patching pinholes in waders, tying flies, etc.

Then I do my hunting suit in the fall.

I also use DEET products on exposed skin on the day of most outings.

 

[rrt]

I spray Sawyer's with Permethrin on my shirt, jeans, and hat for fishing. For hunting -- hat, jacket, hat, and boots. After last year, I also spray my daypack for hunting, as my son told me to do. I let my clothing dry for at least two hours before bringing it into the house.

This treatment is to last for six weeks and/or six washings.

Sawyer's has worked well for me. I am a fan.

 

[rrt]

I spray Sawyer's with Permethrin on my shirt, jeans, and hat for fishing. For hunting -- hat, jacket, hat, and boots. After last year, I also spray my daypack for hunting, as my son told me to do. I let my clothing dry for at least two hours before bringing it into the house.

This treatment is to last for six weeks and/or six washings.

Sawyer's has worked well for me. I am a fan.

 

[beeber2]

This year I started using oil of lemon eucalyptus. Good results so far.

 

[jifigz]

Test

 

[jifigz]

Okay, first buying stuff that is "bugaway" is just a rip off. They do nothing more than give the clothing a good permethrin coating which will eventually wash out..do it yourself. If you want to save money buy permethrin at a livestock store and dilute it down..most tick sprays are usually about 0.5% I believe. I mostly use it for backpacking and then I'll try to wear the same outer clothing each trip during the year. A good soaking can survive a good 5-6 washes or 2 months or so. Just depends. I've never felt any I'll harm or effects from the stuff. It's not like I'm wearing permethrin clothing every day.

 

[troutbert]

Don't apply DEET to bare skin. I applied a lot of DEET when the mosquitoes were really thick and had a bad reaction to it.

If you are going to use DEET, apply it to clothing, not your skin.

Minimize bare skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts. That will help limit both tick and mosquito attacks.

If you are wet wading, or just out for a hike, tucking your pants into your socks can help prevent ticks from getting on your legs.

 

[Bamboozle]

jifigz wrote:
Okay, first buying stuff that is "bugaway" is just a rip off. They do nothing more than give the clothing a good permethrin coating which will eventually wash out..do it yourself.

70 washings with the ExOfficio BugsAway products versus 6 washings or 6 months with Sawyer or equivalent DIY products.

That means you would have to treat your own garments 11.5 times to equal the effectiveness lifespan of the BugsAway stuff so it is hardly the same thing or necessarily a rip-off considering the garment is included...

...but spend you money where you see fit.

 

[ColdBore]

edhank wrote:

* Do you treat all clothes? Shirts, pants, socks, etc?

I concentrate my efforts, and chemicals, on any potential entry points.

On my pants, I spray the cuffs heavily, and then up to the knees, as that's where the majority of ticks will initially hitch their ride.

Then I do the waistline and down about six inches.

On my shirts and jackets, I hit the bottom hem the heaviest, as again, most ticks are going to start their journey on your legs. Then I do a band around the collar and cuffs, and down the front button opening.

A tick crawling in the middle of my shirt back isn't much of an issue, until it tries to get to my skin. To get there, it has to cross a no-man's-land of death.

Doing it that way helps to stretch out the number of treatments that I can get from one container of permethrine, and avoids waste.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

troutbert wrote:
Don't apply DEET to bare skin. I applied a lot of DEET when the mosquitoes were really thick and had a bad reaction to it.

If you are going to use DEET, apply it to clothing, not your skin.

Minimize bare skin by wearing long-sleeved shirts. That will help limit both tick and mosquito attacks.

If you are wet wading, or just out for a hike, tucking your pants into your socks can help prevent ticks from getting on your legs.

This!

Also, Picardin for exposed skin and skin-clothing transitions. I don't think it is harmful to people nor fly lines.

I do Permethrin like pcray described as well.

 

[misanthropist]

I have used permethrin for years on pretty much everything I own. I work and play in the woods, and since I have been using it I have found way less ticks on me.

 

[franklin]

I've gone from hundreds of ticks on my clothing and several making it to my skin each year to very few on my clothing and zero making it to my skin. I use permethrin on all my outdoor clothing that I wear during tick season. I don't use it on waders or fly vest. Using permethrin on a broad brimmed hat it also significantly reduces mosquitoes and nats.