We are entering into the tick season here and I'm considering treating clothing as a protection. (Without treatment, it is usual to find over 100 ticks on a person after an hours walk through the woods on wide trails where you never touch tree branches or brush on the side of the trails). Heretofore, we have done the typical strategies of tucking pants into socks and having tight collars, etc. However, there are invariably a few that get through the lines of defense, so I'm interested in the Permethrin route.

I know there was discussion in previous years (looked some of them up), but I'd like any updates or comments that there may be currently. Specifically . . .

How do you treat your clothing -- spray, soak, ???

Do you use an official "clothing treatment" option like Sawyer's (available at REI) or just mix up some from a garden store?

How effective have you found it to be on ticks?

What happens -- do they die after crawling around or avoid contact?

How long did your treatment appear to be effective?

I'm interested primarily in self-treated reports but comments from users of Buzz Off type clothing might be interesting, as well.

I have done both. I prefer a soak method when the garment is appropriate for it (eg: Shorts to be worn over underwear vs shorts with underwear built in)


I have used both. I find the garden store concentrations (2008 data) would permit both much lower cost, and the ability to use a stronger solution when I thought it was appropriate.


No idea as I don't seem to backpack or hike or bike in tick infested areas.


Not sure. A dozen washings hasn't resulted in feeling that the protection has been lost.

The stuff from the garden store may be cheaper, but it probably isn't safe for something like clothing that is in contact with your skin--different concentration, different inert ingredients (some of which could be toxic). I'd get something formulated for human consumption. Just a quick spray of Repel Permanone seems to work for me (lots of ticks out here, especially the eastern part of the Columbia Gorge).

I prefer to use gaiters rather than trying to tuck pants into socks (they always seem to pop out) or the rubber band strategy.

Please don't spray your dog with it; use Frontline or K9 Advantix topical treatment (check with your veterinarian). Don't put any kind of repellent on your dog anywhere the dog could possibly reach with his tongue (which is most of the dog!). Since the above two treatments don't kill the ticks until after they've bitten, comb the dog thoroughly and check for attached ticks before putting him in the car. This per my-daughter-the-veterinarian.

Always check yourself and the dog (again) for ticks right after returning home!

I have only used the spray. It seemed to work. I haven't found any ticks on me, and there are lots out here. I retreat after several washes. After being covered in a zillion tiny ticks one year, I'd rather retreat more often than not.

“Do you use an official "clothing treatment" option like Sawyer's (available at REI) or just mix up some from a garden store?”

I’ve tried 2 types:
1) Permanone from Walmart (~$5 for 6oz). I do all my clothes (2 sets) with this (including socks, underwear, and hat). Follow directions.
2) Permethrin from a pet store. I thought this was so much cheaper. I diluted it to get a 0.5% concentration. However, it never bonded to my clothes and ticks got on and did not die. So I will not do that again.

“How effective have you found it to be on ticks?”
“What happens -- do they die after crawling around or avoid contact?”

It’s amazing stuff. As you know, I’m a sandal wearer. In the MO Ozarks I easily pick up 100/ticks per day in the summer. They crawl onto my socks, curl up and die. At the end of the day, I take off my socks and shake them all off. I have found some curled up and dead in my leg hairs. Anyone want a picture? It appears, that once ticks touch your clothing, they start dying.

Mosquitoes seem to avoid contact. I see them land on my shirt or hat and immediately fly off.

“How long did your treatment appear to be effective?”

For about 1 month or 6 washings. If I end up going through a lot of streams, I will reapply permanone after a trip.

“…but comments from users of Buzz Off type clothing might be interesting, as well.”

One of our hiking buddies wears these clothes. It does not seem to work; ticks did not die. However, I do not know how many washings it went through.


-Barry

Keith, I had a can of Permanone on my gear shelf for over 3 years before finally spraying a pair of bib overalls and a T-shirt about two weeks ago.

I sprayed it on the outside only, and just until the cloth was damp. It said to spray each side of the outfit for at least one minute total. I did about 1/2 to 3/4 of that, so I used less than recommended.

I washed the outfit one time after several days and wore it again and still had no ticks on me after a couple more long days working out in the thick of their habitat (that's about anywhere outside here in the Ozarks).

My wife washed the outfit again a few days ago and I'll wear it this afternoon and see how it works.

My advice is to use as little as possible to be effective and only wear the treated clothing when you need to. Wash them separately. Take a shower asap after wearing them.

I didn't notice any reaction at all to the stuff myself, and I'm a bit chemical sensitive, and tend to really try and notice even the slightest reaction to chemicals. That doesn't mean much, but I add it here for your evaluation.

So, I still can't endorse the stuff, cuz it is poison, but I am using it this year, and it has been a real pleasure to be outside wallowing around in the garden, fields, and forest, without being attacked by those little buggers.

I hope it works on chiggers too. They'll make you just as miserable here and they'll be out in another month or so.

Bill

I've used the Sawyer spray-on permethrine for several summers now. It has been very effective with ticks as well as mosquitoes.

My wife hiked a local trail at Longhunter State Park and came back with dozens of deer ticks on her. We treated her clothing with permethrine and sprayed 15% picaridin on exposed skin and hiked the same trail two weeks later. Not one tick.

I routinely 1 1/2 sets of clothes for my summer hikes and the treatment remains effective for the two months of summer vacation. (Granted, I'm lucky if I get a chance to wash those clothes a full six times in a summer of hiking!)

Before hiking the AT in Maine in June/July we soaked everything except our underware in permetherine. Including our tent, rain gear, hats, bandanas. I used the strong stuff from the hardware store.

It worked well against mosquitos.

We had little trouble, although we met others who were badly harassed by them; they were visibly in clouds of mosquitos while we were left alone. Others had to wear long sleeved shirts and pants, while we walked most days in shorts.

Someone had said not to use Permethrin with DEET. Is this still the case once the clothes have been washed one or more times?

Thanks to everyone for very helpful responses

Regarding the concern of skin contact -- my understanding is that the permethrin molecule breaks down into harmless substances upon contact with human skin. The thought there may be substances not compatible with human contact in the "inert" part of the garden supply versions is certainly a caution worth checking out.

I think I'm going to give my hiking clothes a soak tomorrow . . .

I also want to thank everyone. This thread reminded me that I could do more for tick bite prevention than I have been doing. If it doesn't rain, my clothes and gear are getting a soak this weekend.

If you have never used permetrhin before, try a single item and wear it for a day after it's dry. Some are allergic and rash up.

Someone got a tick between their shoulder blades yesterday on a day hike we were on; she was wearing a scoop neck t shirt and ball cap. Remember a big hat to cover you from above helps in tick infested areas.

Good advice. Thanks.
Hey I just got a new hat yesterday, brim all the way around, better than a b-ball cap for me. I also just finished altering it. Had to make a tidy little hole for my ponytail.

I'm getting dropped off Tuesday evening for a solo six and half day hike on the Tuscarora Trail. For over two years I've been hoping to hike the whole trail and loop, but work now prevents that so I'll have to section hike it. At least I still get to go!

My Permanone coated overalls lasted about 2 1/2 weeks and three washings.

I went to Wal-Mart to get more and they don't carry it anymore.

Now they carry a product called BioUD

The web site says it lasts 5 days when sprayed on cloths and 4 1/2 hours on skin. I'll be testing it soon.

I hope it works well. I'm pretty tired of getting bit.

Bill

“I went to Wal-Mart to get more and they don't carry it anymore.”

Wow. Thanx for the head’s up. We still have it in Springfield IL. But maybe when they run out, that will be it.
-Barry

Yeah, I was bummed out about that. But maybe it's not that bad...

I sprayed the BioUD on my overalls yesterday and put them on this morning and worked in the garden for a few hours then went for a hike in the forest down in the hollow below our house to test it out.

It's supposed to last 5 days when sprayed on your cloths. The label says you can spray it on your skin and it will last (up to) 4 1/2 hours. I didn't spray my skin today, except my ankles and lower legs. This time of year the hollow is thick with ticks so today was a real hard core test.

After wallering around in the forest until dark, and then walking back up out of the hollow, I can say it works pretty darn good. I had a couple ticks crawling on my arms, but that's to be expected where I was hiking and because I didn't spray my skin.

I did not see a single tick crawling on my bib overalls. I would have placed one of those little buggers that was crawling on me onto the overalls to see what happened but I've let too many ticks get away while experimenting and now I have an strict "All Ticks Must Die" policy that I enforce immediately after finding one. No exceptions.

I'd say it works real close to as good as Permanone after 2 days. Permanone may be effective longer, and therefore cost less to use. I'll probably get two treatments out of the 6 oz. bottle. If I get 10 consecutive days out of that it's not too bad of a deal.

It has a different kind of scent. Not chemical, or nasty, but you can smell it. It's less noticeable on clothing the second day. I'll spray my shirt next time, and maybe more of my skin. I think I might like Picaridin better on my skin though. It doesn't smell so much, and it's not oily at all, and it works pretty good.

I never found Deet, Lemon Eucalyptus, or Picaridin to work at all when sprayed on clothing, and I don't really like spraying any of that stuff on my skin. Consequently I have stayed away from being in the back yard and down in the hollow in the warmer months. This might work good enough to change that so I can work in the garden and with the critters longer. I'd really like that.

I'll use it some more before giving a final review but after my first impression I can recommend that it's certainly worth trying and may be, overall, the best I've tried yet.

If I were backpacking here in the Ozarks right now, or anywhere that ticks are found, I'd recommend you treat your clothes with the BioUD product before leaving and pack the rest with you.

If anyone else tries it out I'd like to hear what you think.

Bill