Contributors to this thread:
I ordered 32 oz of 36.8% permethrin and it should be here tomorrow.
What ratio/percentage do you like for spraying clothes and for spraying yard?
Read the label. The manufacturer's engineers probably have a better handle on it than a bunch of bowsiters.
Tweed - I know Sawyer clothing spray contains only 0.05% permethrin. Where did you order from?
Amazon.
I was wondering if it would be safe to make it just a little stronger than Sawyers.
Diluting to 1% is fine in my opinion. I used to dilute to that mixture in the past, as I recall seeing some pre-mixed solutions with that percentage. The two store bought sprays I have say .5%. Keep in mind that you spray permethrin on your outer layer clothes and let it dry. Do not spray on your skin.
Generally speaking, stronger concentrations of chemicals doesn't necessarily make them more effective. In some cases it make them exponentially more toxic however. Makers of medications, herbicides/pesticides, solvents, etc put recommendations on them for a reason.
Hint: Dilute it down and try re-wetting Thermacell pads. It works. ;-)
https://www.wideopenspaces.com/how-to-make-your-own-thermacell-refill-pads/
Just remember, it also kills honey bees and butterflies. Pretty much everything with wings.
Tweed, You might want to read the MSDS sheet on Permethrin SFR. Seriously.
https://www.domyown.com/msds/Permethrin_SFR1_MSDS.pdf
The MSDS for everything I have ever looked up is scary. Including tree marking paint. The point is to handle products carefully and follow directions. And to realize that everything we come into contact with has an associated calculated risk.
Sag - this is for ticks. I probbbly will use it to refresh my thermacell pads though.
Reg-thanks for the reminder. The outdoor area I would be spraying is just around camp up north. Not much for bees or butterflies deep in the woods. Its a good reminder to be conscious around flowering plants.
The MSDS for Sawyer Permethrin 0.5% is a lot less scary than the SFR 36.5%. There is a good reason to read and follow directions.
I don't have a link, only the PDF for that so just do a search for it.
While researching this I found this little tid bit of advice-
Tick Tubes
You can also soak cotton balls in it, dry them out, put them in tubes (paper towel or toilet paper tubes) and leave them out in the woods or high grass for mice to bring back to their nests. It won't harm the mice, but it will kill any deer ticks on them. Deer ticks have to feed on mice and other small rodents for one stage of their life, and if you keep the mice tick free, then you can reduce tick populations up to 90%.
Smokey, I concur. Read and follow directions carefully. Don't use "strong" mixes or modify recommendations. Every day I read recommendations of using weak glyphosate mixes on clovers which promotes hetbicide resistant plants. Or people using high concentrations to kill thing "really" dead. Or "natural" weed killer concoctions that don't kill much and are much more toxic than the evil herbicides they are supposed to replace.
if your concerned about ticks, here is my tip,,,, forget the chemicals. I wear silk long under wear, top and bottom..... they breathe, are not too hot, and ticks can not get thru the material....... taking off, you can see easily if any are on you, hang out outside over night, in the cool air.......... best system I ever used
Tweed - We mix to 1% in a clean 5gal bucket, wear gauntlet gloves, dunk each piece of clean clothing, wring it out and hang dry outside.
keep mice tick free???? you can not be serious,,,,,,,, lets see there is about a zillion mice..... ha ha......
