Permethrin is your friend

[Cut N Run]

I decided to give permethrin a try this year as an insect repellent because I'd heard how well it works for the past several years. I'm pretty hard-headed, which is why it took me so long to try the stuff. By this part of the turkey season each year, I am usually loaded with tick, chigger, and mosquito bites. Not this year. Wow, does that stuff really work! I only realized how well it works because yesterday afternoon after work I took one of the horse trails back above the swamp to repair one of my low brush blinds which was battered by a hail storm earlier in the week. It has been hotter than usual and I didn't have time to hunt, so I just jogged back there in shorts, work boots, and a T-shirt unprotected by any bug repellant. I couldn't believe the number of ticks and chiggers that were crawling on me when I got back to the truck. The limbs at the blind weren't in as bad a shape as I figured they might be and it just took a few minutes to get the blind back to where it was right again. My total time spent in those woods yesterday was less than 40 minutes. I have hunted those woods really hard this Spring and I haven't found the first tick or chigger crawling on me from hunting anywhere...and I hunt in some seriously dank and buggy places. When I'm wearing my treated hunting clothes, mosquitoes only hover for a few seconds and fly off towards easier targets.

If biting bugs are ruining your time afield, try treating your clothes with permethrin a few days before you go next time and be prepared to be impressed as you hunt bug-free. It even lasts for several clothes washings too! It makes regular bug spray seem stupid.

Jim

[RCTaylor]

never heard of it . will check into it . where do you get it?

[Cut N Run]

I saw it at multiple Dick's Sporting Goods locations in the camping section. I got mine at NC Hunter's Supply in Raleigh.

Jim

[RCTaylor]

Thanks Jim. will check it out. Hpoe your hunting goes better this last week of the season.

[bamabirdbuster13]

i use permetherin in pest control in a liquid form is it the same application.

[Fan Club]

You can get it at any Wally World in the camping section.

Permethrin is the ingredient, The brand name of the spray is REPEL Permanone. I've been using it since I started going to Missouri In 1994 where the ticks will carry you away.

Great stuff!

[WillowRidgeCalls]

I've been using it for about 10 years. It works great for keeping the skeeters and ticks away from you, I spray all my hunting close with it and it will kill ticks that get on you. I buy the Repel brand and it works great, just don't spray in on your skin.

[Duke0002]

I treated my hunting clothes with Sawyers brand this spring. Got it in the camping section at Bass Pro.

Never had much of a tick problem in past years, but with the mild winter I wanted to try it. So far so good! Advertised that one treatment is good for up to 6 washings.

Now, if the scientists can figure out a poison ivy repellent....

[kygobbler]

Will this stuff work on gnats also? Ticks and skeeters dont bother me but its agrevating as heck when your aiming at a bird and gnat flies in your eye.

[Cut N Run]

Sawyer is the brand I have been using. Jeff, your suggestion last year is what got me using that stuff. We don't have gnats where I hunt, so I can't say how effective it may or may not be on them.

I started carrying a Thermacell with me last year and the combination of the two is almost like having a force field against bugs around me. It also gives me great pleasure to know that all the ticks and chiggers that crawl on me are going to die!

Jim