Dang Ticks
Whitetail Deer
Contributors to this thread:
I haven't seen the Ticks this bad in years here in N. Utah/SW Wyoming.
I've got a good spray system for them now and it worked fine over the wknd, even on the young ones.
Sawyer Permethrin (Yellow squarish bottle) on the pant legs and butt area if ya sit down for a break, not on the skin.
Repel on the hands/face type skin showing as it smells okay and doesn't sting if ya get sweating hiking around.
Muskol on the young ones pant legs butt area as it's not as strong as the Sawyer as the kids seem to touch and rub everything!
Good luck, Robb
Agree on the Permathin. Livin in So Cal the ticks are bad but that stuff works. Use it here or your Tick Food for sure.
We’re just getting into tick season here. They don’t seem to be too bad....yet. You can also pre-treat your clothes with the permethrin.
They are taking off here as well Robb. Found a bunch the past couple days. I really need to get on the permethrin bandwagon this year. My boy is an absolute tick magnet for some reason.
Northeast Ohio they are horrendous right now. Permethrin is the ticket without a doubt. Treat the night before and let clothes hang. No biters yet as a result. On the other hand, went golfing last week and stepped into the 6-8 in grass (not to find my ball of course) and immediately had ticks ALL over my legs. Yep. Permethrin now on golf pants.
Here's the stuff I use that I mix my own. Spray on clothing only.
Russell, that's 10% permethrin and looking at Sawyer online it shows .5%. Is the 10% the concentrated percentage and then it's lower when mixed with water? I assume it's intended for clothing only like Sawyer but never seen a concentrated permethrine until now.
Yes, only for clothing. I think I bought it online, but often at Farmers Supply stores they have it.
1 oz of the 10% stuff mixed with 19 oz of water gives you the .5% solution. Same as the Sawyer but much cheaper.
Swear by Sawyers here in northeast. Good stuff.
Thank you Mpdh! Been using Sawyer for years but if can get same results and much cheaper then count me in.
Boy, I'm glad we don't have many of those nasty critters in my neck of the woods. They do seem to be getting worse in some states. My cuz in eastern Kansas said they were so thick this year that he didn't even want to turkey hunt.
Matt
I can only tell you that stuff in the yellow spray bottle is like MAGIC for keeping ticks off ya! Sprayed my pants 6 weeks ago and haven't had a single tick since...and they're thick out right now!
Spray all of your outer layer including your hat, and you will have far fewer black flies and mosquitoes buzzing around also.
Does the permethrin work on chiggers as well? if not, any recommendations? Got a bad case of them in unit 2 last summer. that was 3 weeks of extreme itching.
I spray my socks, shoes, pants, hat and jacket. Maybe reapply several times through the season. I even spray a small stool I carry and my pack. 0 Ticks.
I buy a product called Duration from travelerssupply.com. Its a 10% concentration. Something like $30 for an 8oz bottle. It calls for 1/2 oz concentrate per 18 oz water. That equates to 2.25gal of treatment.
1 stinking 24 oz bottle of Sawyers costs like $16-20.... BUY THE CONCENTRATE!!
The duration directions for dilution rate are intended for soaking clothing. I spray it on the exterior (from an old sawyers bottle i kept) due to the belief that I want it all on the outside of the clothing anyways... not the inside.
One thing that I've often wondered is this... Direction say not to touch it when wet or allow it to get on your skin. So what happens when you soak your clothing while hunting?? Does the permethrin active ingredient stay put- bound to the fabric or does some absorb into your skin??
Either way the stuff works amazing. I love watching ticks crawl for an inch or 2 on my treated pants and fall off. Last year while doing stand work in the summer I brushed a nest of ticks onto my pant leg. Could see 100s if not 1000s nymph ticks clumped together, no exaggeration. Within 10 minutes all were gone.
You guys gripe about the cost of Sawyers vs concentrate. In Canada they're both illegal. Had to get a friend to pick some up when they were in the States.
Russell's Link
You might be able to find it cheaper, but this is a good price.
It would make 3.6 quarts.
Here is what I’ve been doing for over 20 years and obviously it work. I always impregnate several articles of clothes and I do this by mixing 8 ounces of permethrin to a gallon of water and put the mixture in a gallon size pressure sprayer.Lay the clothes out and spray them on one side turn over and hit the other.Get them pretty wet.Hang them up let dry and you are good to go for the year.It will survive several washing.If I mix a small spray bottle to have around I mix about an ounce and a half to a quart of water Good luck Lewis
Thanks for the reminder as I need to get some fresh permethrin. I will also be looking for those other labels for the kids.
Come to the Northeast, I sat in a turkey blind for an hour yesterday and when I got back to the house counted no less than 70 on my legs and clothes. Really never worry too much, wifey checks me over good and than a shower with dandruff shampoo and no more ticks! Shawn
I wonder too about what happens when permethrin treated clothes get wet or sweaty. Ticks are so bad this year I am going to have to wear treated clothes when it gets hot out.
For your hunting clothing, do as described above.
For your home & yard, spray the lawn an greenery with Tempo. I do it now, and then again in late summer. No ticks, no skeeters, no spiders, no asian beetles, no box-elder bugs. Very few flies. I haven't pulled a tick off my dog in 12 years, and he was not a house dog.
x-man X2. I have to spray my trees every year for bagworms. When they come to spray, I have them spray extra. Really helps with tick and skeeters
When I set up a turkey blind I spray the ground inside it, seems pretty effective.
I have seen ticks die on my clothes Good luck Lewis
I have seen ticks die on my clothes Good luck Lewis
I have seen ticks die on my clothes Good luck Lewis
Permethrin is the best for ticks...and yes it will stay on your clothing and effective for as they say 6 washings, but I think 4 is about max. I've run mine thru 2 washings since turkey season started and still working fine. Just one other note about permethrin for those of you that live in the mountains or where cluster flies are prevalent in the winter...dilute per concentrate instructions and spray around your foundation as well as door and window openings in the fall... cluster flies gone!!
When spring turkey hunting or morel mushroom hunting I wear a Bug Tamer suit sprayed heavily with Sawyer Permethrin. I pull the legs cuffs down over knee high LaCrosse boots. That’s the same system I use for spring bear in Canada. Works very well.
DO NOT SPRAY ON YOUR BODY. THIS IS ONLY FOR CLOTHES AND GEAR.
I suggest you use 1.15% permethrin solution as following:
<==> If you live in NY, CT or VT you cannot buy permethrin from Amazon.com and eBay anymore. They will not ship to these fine states. <==>
1. Buy a quart of 36.8 permethrin concentrate solution from eBay --> https://www.ebay.com/itm/Permethrin-SFR-36-8-Insecticide-Termiticide-1-PT-Martins-Control-Solutions-SFR/333579329140?hash=item4daae09e74:g:aNIAAOSwjAlenHPL:sc:UPSGround!06610!US!-1
2. Buy 1 to 2 DISTILLED water gallon jugs from Walmart or any other store.
INSTRUCTIONS: How to make a 1.15% solution to treat clothes and gear for camping: To mix easily with household implements for 1 gallon of 1.15% spray solution use 4 fluid ounces 36.8% permethrin then add 124 fluid ounces DISTILLED water to make 1 gallon.
OR
From a purchased gallon of DISTILLED water take out 4 fl oz of water, then add 4 fl oz of 36.8% permethrin. Cover and shake well.
How to use: Get a quality spray bottle from Home Depot and have fun spraying --> https://www.homedepot.com/p/ZEP-32-oz-Professional-Sprayer-HDPRO36/100007602. Spray everything OUTSIDE in open air until damp inside / out. Watch the wind to avoid spraying the solution in your face. To be extra cautious better cover your hands with latex gloves and cover your mouth / nose while spraying. Dry everything outside in a shady area during day or overnight.
Formula for any volume:
Amount of fluid needed X (times) Strength Wanted / (divided) by Strength Available = Amount of permethrin 36.8% concentrate to use
Example: 128 fl oz X (1.15% / 0.368) = 4 fl oz <=> if you use 4 fl oz of 36.8% permethrin in 124 fluid ounces of DISTILLED water you get a permethrin solution at 1.15% concentration.
Remark: 36.8% = 36.8 / 100 = 0.368
ATTENTION: Liquid permethrin is TOXIC for everyone. When ingested in large quantities is deadly to humans. When dry, permethrin is SAFE for everyone EXCEPT for aquatic creatures AND cats.
DO NOT SPRAY ON YOUR BODY. THIS IS ONLY FOR CLOTHES AND GEAR.
Regardless of the concentration use the formula (C1) x (V1)=(C2) x (V2) where C1 is the concentration of the permethrin, C2 is the desired end result (typically .5%), V2 is the desired amount you want for spraying and you'll solve it for V1. Watch your decimal places...C2 in this case is .005.
If you get one, use this to remove. Amazon, tick key.
Free ranging chickens do a decent job too!!
Permithrin sure does work. Anyone reading this still on the fence, please get it and treat your gear. Mix your own as directed above or buy Sawyers or a similar brand (if there still is one - Repel had it for a while but I've not seen other Permithrin repelents the last few years so not sure).
It works!
Also, dont worry about the smell. If a critter smells it, they were going to smell you anyway. Tick borne illnesses are no joke.
Skelly, "Does the permethrin work on chiggers as well? if not, any recommendations? Got a bad case of them in unit 2 last summer. that was 3 weeks of extreme itching. "
Yes.
We use permethrin and picaridin. We turkey hunted some of the most tick infested land that i have ever encountered without a single tick attaching to any of us.
We do NOT USE DEET. DEET destroys fiberglass and finishes as well as being more toxic to humans. Plus it feels greasy to the touch. Picaridin is finally overcoming the great marketing by producers and vendors of DEET.
Also, we do not mix our own as the permethrin solutions not meant for humans are not proven in controlled tests to adhere effectively to fabric and are smelly due to the petroleum distillates. Additionally, petroleum distillates can have a bad effect upon the skin as well as being potentially dangerous over time..
So, we use the permethrin solution meant for fabric and treat all our outer garments per directions. We then use a spray containing picaridin. . I wouldn't risk any other method on my family.
By the time you use enough Deet to be effective which goes directly on your skin it can make you sick. I’ve gotten that sickly feeling before and it sucks. You are poisoning to poison insects. Permethrin on clothes is safe and more effective. It lasts too even through a washing machine.
Any idea what the shelf life of permethrin is, both ready to use and concentrate?
wkochevar , I have a container of Sawyer that's been sitting on the shelf for several years. It still worked last week.
They say 5 years but I’ve used some older than that and it worked fine.
Deet is terrible. Last summer almost a year ago I was walking in the woods, the mosquitos were terrible. I applied a deet product several different times over several hours on my skin face and clothes. Later that afternoon I started having bad headaches and became pretty dizzy. Continued to get worst, long story short wife brought me to the hospital and I stayed there for 5 days. The deet got into my blood and respiratory system and attached my nervous system. Now I can not smell the stuff and it gives me a headache. I had used a deet product since I was a kid and never had any effects. This was the first time it had ever done anything to me before.
Ground hunter,
As I stated above, you might want to look into using a solution containing picaridin instead of DEET. Look at all the tests and research. You will likely wonder why picaridin didn’t replace DEET here in the U. S. a long time ago.