Tick Season!

[xsn10s]

A lot of things were deemed to be safe, only to have that notion debunked many years later. Personally, I'd rather avoid dousing myself with chemicals that kill insects on contact.

Each to their own.

Of course the decision is yours since it's your health. but I will note Permethrin is a repellent, not an insecticide. I used it in the deep Georgia swamps when I was stationed at Ft Stewart. It worked well for me on ticks.

 

[xsn10s]

Of course the decision is yours since it's your health. but I will note Permethrin is a repellent, not an insecticide. I used it in the deep Georgia swamps when I was stationed at Ft Stewart. It worked well for me on ticks.

I stand corrected it is considered an insecticide. But it's been deemed safe for kids as young as 2 years old. And it's been around since 1973 so there's plenty of studies done on it.

 

[victor3ranger]

Of course the decision is yours since it's your health. but I will note Permethrin is a repellent, not an insecticide. I used it in the deep Georgia swamps when I was stationed at Ft Stewart. It worked well for me on ticks.

It's definitely a contact killer, you don't want it on your skin when the solution is wet.
We used to be issued the stuff to wash our uniforms in.
I still use it if I am going to be in the ticks.
However I spray it on the clothes I am going to wear and let it dry before putting them on, works good for about a week or so.

 

[Mark37082]

Permethrin works. I just have to remember to apply and dry before heading out to tick zones.
Seed ticks are the absolute worst. When I was bow hunting I had a couple of occasions where there were 100's of those tiny blood suckers crawling up my legs. I break out in a cold sweat thinking about it.

 

[meangreen75]

I've been hunting central Cal a couple time in the last 3 months and nothing I've sprayed on me has stopped the ticks from latching on. It seems like as soon as they get on your pant legs, they hightail it north looking for an opening. I've had to wear tan pants and stop and check every 100 yards or so just to clear them off before they get to my neck or hands. Insane tick turnout so far this year.

 

[xsn10s]

It's definitely a contact killer, you don't want it on your skin when the solution is wet.
We used to be issued the stuff to wash our uniforms in.
I still use it if I am going to be in the ticks.
However I spray it on the clothes I am going to wear and let it dry before putting them on, works good for about a week or so.

I already posted that. And it is made for contact on the skin.

 

[Calvin45]

You should see the ticks on a Cape buffalo - their scrotum is covered with them.

That explains why they seem so cranky and homicidal!

 

[akmtnhnt]

I already posted that. And it is made for contact on the skin.

It is, as it's what's used in shampoos and such for lice and other things. But they're assuming you're not going to be using that every day forever. A good amount of people do get a mild rash from the shampoo/wet insect replant.
The amount absorbed into the skin goes to basically 0 if you let it dry first. There's a reason the insect repellent instructs you to spray it on clothes, let them dry and then wear them. And has something to the effect of "DO NOT APPLY DIRECTLY TO SKIN OR CLOTHES WHILE WEARING THEM".

 

[akmtnhnt]

I've been hunting central Cal a couple time in the last 3 months and nothing I've sprayed on me has stopped the ticks from latching on. It seems like as soon as they get on your pant legs, they hightail it north looking for an opening. I've had to wear tan pants and stop and check every 100 yards or so just to clear them off before they get to my neck or hands. Insane tick turnout so far this year.

So, as said above, permethrin kills them, it does nothing to repel them. In studies it takes up to an hour to kill all the ticks in a group. That's not quick enough to keep them all from biting you if it's that bad, they'll still die but you got bit. Combine with either DEET or Picardin.
I grew up in an area that was terrible as well. Always tucking all clothing in, everything was treated plus repellent. Lots of people got Lyme. Alpha gal is somewhat newer or seems to be, and would ruin the whole reason I hunt. That one I'm legit scared of.
I'm so glad we don't have ticks here. Mosquitos are terrible, but you can deal with them and at least here, they don't carry disease.

 

[victor3ranger]

So, as said above, permethrin kills them, it does nothing to repel them. In studies it takes up to an hour to kill all the ticks in a group. That's not quick enough to keep them all from biting you if it's that bad, they'll still die but you got bit. Combine with either DEET or Picardin.
I grew up in an area that was terrible as well. Always tucking all clothing in, everything was treated plus repellent. Lots of people got Lyme. Alpha gal is somewhat newer or seems to be, and would ruin the whole reason I hunt. That one I'm legit scared of.
I'm so glad we don't have ticks here. Mosquitos are terrible, but you can deal with them and at least here, they don't carry disease.

DEET is nasty, we were in a horribly infested area and had deep woods off with Deet, I had so much of that stuff on me that had soaked into my skin that my tongue started to swell up
I was still covered in ticks

 

[Muddyboots]

Friend of mine started wearing hip boots deer hunting and I laughed. Until I didn't. Hellava idea! Sprays boots, sprays his turkey chair, and actually sprays ground area where he sits. His theory is smell spray smell him so whats the difference? He claims zero ticks since he started this years ago. Haven't talked to him in years so maybe "ticked" off at me?

 

[Varmint Hunter]

There is probably a big difference between an occasional exposure to some of these chemicals and regular exposure. I raised several Golden Retrievers and had a problem with flees at one time. I eventually brought the dogs to the vet for his advice. The first thing he said was to take those flea collars off the dogs and never use them again. He said that it is just not wise to hang insecticide/repellants around an animal's neck 24/7. I took his advice.

The solution for my situation was to trap the stray cats and treat the grass for fleas, ticks, etc.

 

[Critter Picker]

For several years I was the range officer for our local archery club. This entailed moving the shooting stakes on 28 targets every other week. The targets were located on 240 wooded acres. I would spray a pair of jeans with sawyer tick repellent and keep them in the garage when not wearing them. I'd wear them three times, wash,wear 3 more times,wash and respray. We shot 16 weeks. I got very few ticks.

 

[FlGunner]

Here you go, I use it and swear by it…. And we got the ticks in N Florida flat woods and swamps.