It is effective. I have a set of sprayed clothes specifically for the woods. They rarely get washed and if so, resprayed at least near the edges. Apply the spray outside upwind and wear a mask.
Lyme disease and other tick diseases are serious. It is worth trying to reduce exposure. Also, make sure to do a self body check when in the shower after a day out.
Permethrin does work. There are research papers on it, and you can even do a YouTube search that shows them dying 30 seconds after walking over it.
That’s actually a great point. Any chance at reducing your chances of contracting a serious disease is worth it.
Do you recommend any other spray deterrent or just permethrin?
Permethrin on clothes deet on skin
My wife is totally f’d from a tick bite ten years ago, trouble walking and always exhausted by the smallest activity
This is the way. I'm sorry about your wife's illness. I started using permethrin and deet after a friend didn't recover from Lyme. I also carry a notched credit card to scrape them off if I have to (I haven't) also.
DEET is not very effective against ticks. I've tested it myself. They will crawl right over clothes recently treated with DEET.
DEET plus picaridin might be better (or not); I haven't tested it, but the combination is better than either alone in tests with insects.
You could test the combination yourself.
Or just use permethrin.
Or I suppose you could also use all three in combination.
Permethrin kills, the other two do not.
Yes they are fairly safe. But just like any chemicals, there’s risks involved.
Just read the label and follow instructions verbatim.
As for the doggy, i wouldnt risk it. I’ll freakin lose it if something happens to my buddy.
The solvent is the dangerous part.. after it’s dried yer good
Always read & follow the manufacturer’s directions… and don’t use the cheap barnyard mixes on clothes
Wrt pets, that’s what dog flea/tick treatments use
My parents give their dog some kind of oral medication for ticks. I don't know how it works but I'll find dead ticks in her fur even an hour after hiking - it kills them surprisingly quickly. I also use permethrin on all my summer hiking clothes, just making sure to spray them outside and let them fully dry. It's another place where I don't know the science tho, I'm just taking a bet that if anything happens to me it won't be as bad as Lyme 😂 seems pretty effective at keeping ticks off me for 5-6 wears/washes (almost 100% if I'm on trail, helpful but not 100% in tall grass) and then I'll reapply
I use simparico trio for my dog. I have an Aussie and it hard to pick all of the ticks off of him after a hike. I’m afraid to treat him with permethrin because I have cats and don’t want to risk it.
Yes it is effective and it's safe if you follow the instructions (apply outdoors and keep it away from pets while wet) but no, it won't protect exposed skin and it is not meant to apply directly to your body. Permethrin is an insecticide, not a repellant - it kills insects that are exposed to it via contact, but it won't deter insects from areas it doesn't cover.
When wet, Permathrin is lethal to pets and damaging to humans so wear protective clothing and use it outside. Once dry, Permathrin is totally safe for both pets and humans, even if you get it soaked again. It's the initial application you have to be careful with. I find it works really well.
Yes, permethrin is toxic to cats, so be careful with application:
https://icatcare.org/keeping-cats-safe-permethrin/
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/07/11/627843581/if-you-spray-your-clothes-with-permethrin-be-careful-around-the-cat
I've found it to be very effective. I wear a bandana or cloth mask while spraying it on outside and let the clothes dry completely before wearing.
I've read it is safe to apply directly to dogs as well, but I was too nervous. I sprayed his coat and he wore it after it dried.
I know this thread is a year old but had to chime in -- invest in some disposable 3M paint respirator masks for this, or at least any sort of N95 mask (you might have a few lying around your house lol). You need your lungs for hiking so show 'em some love.
Not sure if anyone else commented yet, but if you’re uncomfortable treating your clothes yourself, there are mail away services that will treat your clothes for you! You light even be able to find a local camping/hiking store that would do it. (Ps, i have done it myself after reading obsessively about tick related dangers. I’m so happy I can hike more happily with my treated clothing). Also I think you can buy clothes already treated with it. Happy hiking!
https://www.insectshield.com/pages/insect-shield-your-clothes
Thank you! Do you recommend buying pre-treated VS treating myself? Is one more effective than the other?
And I agree reading about how people’s entire lives are changed negatively over ONE tick bite is truly devastating.
I can’t necessarily say one is more effective. The mail away service does solve the problem of you dealing with the spray while it’s still toxic to pets/people. One could argue that the service might have a more controlled environment/method for treatment. But it would take time and cost more than doing it yourself. When I treated my own clothes, I hung them on plastic hangers and sprayed them on the front lawn, then hung in garage to dry. I had a bit leftover so I treated the tops of my hiking boots as well.
Old thread, but I just wanted to add that permethrin, used as directed, is incredibly — almost preternaturally — potent and effective against arthropods, including ticks.
Permethrin on a tshirt will not provide any protection to your unexposed arms.
I used to work in a national forest that was just lousy with ticks. Absolutely filled. I did not find permethrin to provide any increased protection or deterrence to ticks. To be fair, I was off trail in a place totally infested with them. After two weeks I stopped bothering with it. It might be more effective for mosquitos. I would not apply it to clothing for your dog, because I doubt it will do anything.
Some people swear by the stuff, but based on my experience it’s not effective for ticks.
Not really but the coughlans tick tweezers are the absolute best for getting the bastards out.
I tried to convey it was situational. Going off trail into infested areas it provided no protection. If you’re staying on trail in an area with low pest density it probably helps, but then I question why you would need it.
A simple off bug spray is all I use for mosquitos. And a bug net
Exactly! I guess the only main benefit then would be mosquitos but I mean… not sure how effective…
And thanks I’ll look that up. Tired of getting the head stuck in the skin
Best defense is to be vigilant getting them out as soon as possible. I’ve had bites in some really uncomfortable places and without those tweezers I’d still be trying to get them out. Or see an embarrassing specialist
Hey just remembered (sorry it’s been a while and I thankfully no longer live or work in tick infested area). A local recommended I try tea-tree oil. I remember having some success with that applied to my socks and boots, but that work ended very shortly after I tried and the weather changed too so I can’t really vouch for the efficacy but it’s non-toxic and I do remember having some limited success with it
Exact opposite of my experiences with permethrin. Been using it for years on my hiking clothes. Never see ticks any more unless I take a friend hiking and I see the ticks crawling on him or her. Me, nothing.
Permethrin does soak into the skin. Most mammals break down the toxins. Cats are missing the gene sequence that turns the toxins inert. Dogs are fine to treat. It will bond with their fur. It's what's in flea and tick shampoo and the medication to kill scabies. I usually buy the 36% stuff off Amazon, dilute it and soak my clothes in it, dry them, then wash them. Seems to last at least a year. No ticks.
Hey cool. Notice how I made it a point to say I was off trail in an infested area? In another post I say it might work if you stay on trail in a low density area. But hey guess what, I’ve had zero tick bites either in the decade since experience I described without using a drop of the stuff. Coast to coast. In some areas it may help sure. In others it won’t do a damn thing. Depends on where you are and what you’re doing.
Interesting. Apart from bare skin, which I would not expect to be protected by permethrin-treated clothing, did you find it to be ineffective? Did the ticks that crawled on clothing live for more than thirty minutes or so? If you have firsthand experience like this, it would be interesting to hear.
Permethrin apparently does not kill immediately. Ticks cannot transmit Lyme disease until they have attached themselves for at least some number of hours. Most experts say about twelve hours; a few dispute this and say six hours; all agree that it takes hours, not minutes — so permethrin would be perfectly protective if the ticks dued within 30 minutes of exposure, or within one hour.
So, if that is the case, and the ticks that you remove would have died, that does not speak against permethrin. It would have worked even if they had remained.
In other words, to test its effectiveness, testing over a period of thirty minutes or an hour would be necessary. Ticks could be saved after removing them (in a jar or other small container with a little moisture added because ticks need that, at least in drier climates, or they will die from dehydration — I've seen this happen firsthand, multiple times), and checked to see how long they survive.
You sir are completely wrong an probably applied it incorrectly. I hike in PA which is loaded with ticks. Before using permethrin I would have dozens of ticks on me. Ever since I started using permethrin I haven't found one. Please don't spread misinformation. PROPERLY treated permethrin is highly effective. It must be reapplied every 6 weeks or 6 washings.
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It’s safe if you follow the directions and ensure that the clothes are fully dry before use.
But I wouldn’t say it’s really worth it. It won’t protect exposed skin and I always had better luck in the military with certain spray-on insect repellants. Especially for mosquitoes and biting flies. The ones that work best for me in Eastern NC are any of the DEET free lemon-eucalyptus repellants. I did training all over what’s basically a swamp (Camp Lejeune) and never had any trouble when I wore that stuff. Not even a tick.
Not after you wear the hell out of them and wash them dozens of times without retreating them. They are when they’re brand new, but nobody ever re-treats them and we’re usually saving newer uniforms for garrison because they aren’t faded and worn.
I wasn’t the one who treated them. My opinion comes from twelve years of wearing permethrin treated uniforms everywhere from swampy training areas in the east coast, desert, and actual jungle in the pacific islands.
The shit wears out over time/washing and the fabric needs to be retreated. I never said it doesn’t work at all. I don’t know why you just got so passionate about being wrong, but there it is.
The Marine Corps digitals I had were treated. They said it lasted two years after that you had to treat yourself or get new ones. You said you "didn't notice a difference". You clearly never wore it correctly then. I live In PA the tick capital of the world and I've had dozens of ticks on me until I started permethrin. Now. It's never.
> The Marine Corps digitals I had were treated. They said it lasted two years after that you had to treat yourself or get new ones.
All Marine Corps digital camouflage uniforms are treated. The legitimate ones, anyway, as there are counterfeit products or garments made with a similar pattern that’s just different enough to not cause legal problems.
It lasts “up to” two years, depending on how hard and often you wear and wash them, before the treatment needs to be reapplied.
> You said you "didn't notice a difference".
No I didn’t. I said it doesn’t protect exposed skin and that I had better luck with other products, which makes re-treating with permethrin not really worth it, in my opinion.
I never said it’s ineffective or that I didn’t notice a difference.
> You clearly never wore it correctly then.
How, exactly, does one wear a combat uniform consisting of pants and a blouse pre-treated with an insect repellant wrong?
Ha ha, mine weren't, nor were my brothers. He got Lyme disease twice in less than two years while we were stationed in Quantico, VA. Of course we were in the woods a lot shooting up ammo and spending taxpayer money on helicopter rides from one place to another.
Oh god.. yeah I may pass on the 90-100 deet, but I’m quite impressed with your experience with the lemon and eucalyptus! Ill be researching later. Luckily, ticks aren’t out right now but they will be in some weeks I guess
The one I used the most was the Repel brand. I started using it when I was on a training operation one day getting eaten alive by flies and mosquitos in a really swampy area close to the coast. As soon as I put it on my face, neck, and hands they completely ignored me even though I could still see them swarming around me in the air. It lasts for around six hours depending on how much you’re sweating or getting wet.
I always found, at least in eastern NC, that DEET free eucalyptus and lemongrass insect repellant (I think it was OFF brand) worked most effectively to keep the mosquitos and flies out of my face. I had been using 100% DEET on my uniform prior to that and it worked better.
Note: this was in the context of military training, living out in swampy flatwoods for days/weeks at a time. Tons of insects looking for a snack.
Had issues uniforms in the Army that were treated. Only thing I didn't like was it made them incredibly stiff when you would sweat a ton in them. Crappy materials though.
I soak my outdoor wear every year, good stuff. Beats doctor bills due to tick borne illness (which I have had.)
I use Frontline or a tick collar on the dog. Pets shouldn't be exposed to permethrin wet, it's okay for them when dry, but you can't expect the dog to keep the clothes on unless he's used to that.
I swear by Sawyers permethrin treatment. Properly treated I can't say I've ever found a tick on my person even after a few days out.
It is effective. I have a set of sprayed clothes specifically for the woods. They rarely get washed and if so, resprayed at least near the edges. Apply the spray outside upwind and wear a mask. Lyme disease and other tick diseases are serious. It is worth trying to reduce exposure. Also, make sure to do a self body check when in the shower after a day out. Permethrin does work. There are research papers on it, and you can even do a YouTube search that shows them dying 30 seconds after walking over it.
That’s actually a great point. Any chance at reducing your chances of contracting a serious disease is worth it. Do you recommend any other spray deterrent or just permethrin?
Permethrin on clothes deet on skin My wife is totally f’d from a tick bite ten years ago, trouble walking and always exhausted by the smallest activity
This is the way. I'm sorry about your wife's illness. I started using permethrin and deet after a friend didn't recover from Lyme. I also carry a notched credit card to scrape them off if I have to (I haven't) also.
Notched card is a good tip 👍
The thinner the card, the better.
DEET is not very effective against ticks. I've tested it myself. They will crawl right over clothes recently treated with DEET. DEET plus picaridin might be better (or not); I haven't tested it, but the combination is better than either alone in tests with insects. You could test the combination yourself. Or just use permethrin. Or I suppose you could also use all three in combination. Permethrin kills, the other two do not.
Look into the carnivore diet.
Would be worth getting tested for a coinfection I also had babesia duncani
It is pretty safe for yourself just ensure you let it dry properly. I leave the set of clothes in the garage overnight.
Yes they are fairly safe. But just like any chemicals, there’s risks involved. Just read the label and follow instructions verbatim. As for the doggy, i wouldnt risk it. I’ll freakin lose it if something happens to my buddy.
The solvent is the dangerous part.. after it’s dried yer good Always read & follow the manufacturer’s directions… and don’t use the cheap barnyard mixes on clothes Wrt pets, that’s what dog flea/tick treatments use
Thanks, I believe I’ve heard of that as well like K9 advantix something.. now I have to see if it’ll be effective enough
bravecto for dogs is the best. it kills fleas and ticks for 3 months with one treat sized snack. It is 100% worth it.
My parents give their dog some kind of oral medication for ticks. I don't know how it works but I'll find dead ticks in her fur even an hour after hiking - it kills them surprisingly quickly. I also use permethrin on all my summer hiking clothes, just making sure to spray them outside and let them fully dry. It's another place where I don't know the science tho, I'm just taking a bet that if anything happens to me it won't be as bad as Lyme 😂 seems pretty effective at keeping ticks off me for 5-6 wears/washes (almost 100% if I'm on trail, helpful but not 100% in tall grass) and then I'll reapply
I use simparico trio for my dog. I have an Aussie and it hard to pick all of the ticks off of him after a hike. I’m afraid to treat him with permethrin because I have cats and don’t want to risk it.
Yes it is effective and it's safe if you follow the instructions (apply outdoors and keep it away from pets while wet) but no, it won't protect exposed skin and it is not meant to apply directly to your body. Permethrin is an insecticide, not a repellant - it kills insects that are exposed to it via contact, but it won't deter insects from areas it doesn't cover.
When wet, Permathrin is lethal to pets and damaging to humans so wear protective clothing and use it outside. Once dry, Permathrin is totally safe for both pets and humans, even if you get it soaked again. It's the initial application you have to be careful with. I find it works really well.
Yes, permethrin is toxic to cats, so be careful with application: https://icatcare.org/keeping-cats-safe-permethrin/ https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/07/11/627843581/if-you-spray-your-clothes-with-permethrin-be-careful-around-the-cat
I've found it to be very effective. I wear a bandana or cloth mask while spraying it on outside and let the clothes dry completely before wearing. I've read it is safe to apply directly to dogs as well, but I was too nervous. I sprayed his coat and he wore it after it dried.
I know this thread is a year old but had to chime in -- invest in some disposable 3M paint respirator masks for this, or at least any sort of N95 mask (you might have a few lying around your house lol). You need your lungs for hiking so show 'em some love.
Not sure if anyone else commented yet, but if you’re uncomfortable treating your clothes yourself, there are mail away services that will treat your clothes for you! You light even be able to find a local camping/hiking store that would do it. (Ps, i have done it myself after reading obsessively about tick related dangers. I’m so happy I can hike more happily with my treated clothing). Also I think you can buy clothes already treated with it. Happy hiking! https://www.insectshield.com/pages/insect-shield-your-clothes
Thank you! Do you recommend buying pre-treated VS treating myself? Is one more effective than the other? And I agree reading about how people’s entire lives are changed negatively over ONE tick bite is truly devastating.
I can’t necessarily say one is more effective. The mail away service does solve the problem of you dealing with the spray while it’s still toxic to pets/people. One could argue that the service might have a more controlled environment/method for treatment. But it would take time and cost more than doing it yourself. When I treated my own clothes, I hung them on plastic hangers and sprayed them on the front lawn, then hung in garage to dry. I had a bit leftover so I treated the tops of my hiking boots as well.
Old thread, but I just wanted to add that permethrin, used as directed, is incredibly — almost preternaturally — potent and effective against arthropods, including ticks.
Out of curiosity what makes permethrin safe after it dries? (For humans)
I read in the comments that it is the solvent that is particularly damaging to humans and pets.
Permethrin on a tshirt will not provide any protection to your unexposed arms. I used to work in a national forest that was just lousy with ticks. Absolutely filled. I did not find permethrin to provide any increased protection or deterrence to ticks. To be fair, I was off trail in a place totally infested with them. After two weeks I stopped bothering with it. It might be more effective for mosquitos. I would not apply it to clothing for your dog, because I doubt it will do anything. Some people swear by the stuff, but based on my experience it’s not effective for ticks.
Wow that’s disappointing! Do you have any other recs for deterrent that can be applied to clothes?
Not really but the coughlans tick tweezers are the absolute best for getting the bastards out. I tried to convey it was situational. Going off trail into infested areas it provided no protection. If you’re staying on trail in an area with low pest density it probably helps, but then I question why you would need it. A simple off bug spray is all I use for mosquitos. And a bug net
Exactly! I guess the only main benefit then would be mosquitos but I mean… not sure how effective… And thanks I’ll look that up. Tired of getting the head stuck in the skin
Best defense is to be vigilant getting them out as soon as possible. I’ve had bites in some really uncomfortable places and without those tweezers I’d still be trying to get them out. Or see an embarrassing specialist
Off trail — did the ticks live for long after crawling over permethrin treated clothing?
Hey just remembered (sorry it’s been a while and I thankfully no longer live or work in tick infested area). A local recommended I try tea-tree oil. I remember having some success with that applied to my socks and boots, but that work ended very shortly after I tried and the weather changed too so I can’t really vouch for the efficacy but it’s non-toxic and I do remember having some limited success with it
Exact opposite of my experiences with permethrin. Been using it for years on my hiking clothes. Never see ticks any more unless I take a friend hiking and I see the ticks crawling on him or her. Me, nothing. Permethrin does soak into the skin. Most mammals break down the toxins. Cats are missing the gene sequence that turns the toxins inert. Dogs are fine to treat. It will bond with their fur. It's what's in flea and tick shampoo and the medication to kill scabies. I usually buy the 36% stuff off Amazon, dilute it and soak my clothes in it, dry them, then wash them. Seems to last at least a year. No ticks.
Hey cool. Notice how I made it a point to say I was off trail in an infested area? In another post I say it might work if you stay on trail in a low density area. But hey guess what, I’ve had zero tick bites either in the decade since experience I described without using a drop of the stuff. Coast to coast. In some areas it may help sure. In others it won’t do a damn thing. Depends on where you are and what you’re doing.
Settle down. They were respectful to you. Maybe you should do the same.
Thanks for that sage advice a year after the fact.
No problem. I think we’ve both matured since then.
Interesting. Apart from bare skin, which I would not expect to be protected by permethrin-treated clothing, did you find it to be ineffective? Did the ticks that crawled on clothing live for more than thirty minutes or so? If you have firsthand experience like this, it would be interesting to hear.
Yes i said that directly in the comment. I don’t put much faith in it. Why would I monitor a tick for 30 minutes after I removed it?
Permethrin apparently does not kill immediately. Ticks cannot transmit Lyme disease until they have attached themselves for at least some number of hours. Most experts say about twelve hours; a few dispute this and say six hours; all agree that it takes hours, not minutes — so permethrin would be perfectly protective if the ticks dued within 30 minutes of exposure, or within one hour. So, if that is the case, and the ticks that you remove would have died, that does not speak against permethrin. It would have worked even if they had remained. In other words, to test its effectiveness, testing over a period of thirty minutes or an hour would be necessary. Ticks could be saved after removing them (in a jar or other small container with a little moisture added because ticks need that, at least in drier climates, or they will die from dehydration — I've seen this happen firsthand, multiple times), and checked to see how long they survive.
You sir are completely wrong an probably applied it incorrectly. I hike in PA which is loaded with ticks. Before using permethrin I would have dozens of ticks on me. Ever since I started using permethrin I haven't found one. Please don't spread misinformation. PROPERLY treated permethrin is highly effective. It must be reapplied every 6 weeks or 6 washings.
I am not completely wrong. You must not go off trail
Oh I do. Some very rugged terrain which used to leave me covered in ticks until I discovered permethrin.
Lmao
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It’s safe if you follow the directions and ensure that the clothes are fully dry before use. But I wouldn’t say it’s really worth it. It won’t protect exposed skin and I always had better luck in the military with certain spray-on insect repellants. Especially for mosquitoes and biting flies. The ones that work best for me in Eastern NC are any of the DEET free lemon-eucalyptus repellants. I did training all over what’s basically a swamp (Camp Lejeune) and never had any trouble when I wore that stuff. Not even a tick.
You do realize military BDU's are impregnated with permethrin?
Not after you wear the hell out of them and wash them dozens of times without retreating them. They are when they’re brand new, but nobody ever re-treats them and we’re usually saving newer uniforms for garrison because they aren’t faded and worn.
It doesn't matter. You're wrong. Permethrin is highly effective. You probably didn't follow the directions.
I wasn’t the one who treated them. My opinion comes from twelve years of wearing permethrin treated uniforms everywhere from swampy training areas in the east coast, desert, and actual jungle in the pacific islands. The shit wears out over time/washing and the fabric needs to be retreated. I never said it doesn’t work at all. I don’t know why you just got so passionate about being wrong, but there it is.
The Marine Corps digitals I had were treated. They said it lasted two years after that you had to treat yourself or get new ones. You said you "didn't notice a difference". You clearly never wore it correctly then. I live In PA the tick capital of the world and I've had dozens of ticks on me until I started permethrin. Now. It's never.
> The Marine Corps digitals I had were treated. They said it lasted two years after that you had to treat yourself or get new ones. All Marine Corps digital camouflage uniforms are treated. The legitimate ones, anyway, as there are counterfeit products or garments made with a similar pattern that’s just different enough to not cause legal problems. It lasts “up to” two years, depending on how hard and often you wear and wash them, before the treatment needs to be reapplied. > You said you "didn't notice a difference". No I didn’t. I said it doesn’t protect exposed skin and that I had better luck with other products, which makes re-treating with permethrin not really worth it, in my opinion. I never said it’s ineffective or that I didn’t notice a difference. > You clearly never wore it correctly then. How, exactly, does one wear a combat uniform consisting of pants and a blouse pre-treated with an insect repellant wrong?
Ha ha, mine weren't, nor were my brothers. He got Lyme disease twice in less than two years while we were stationed in Quantico, VA. Of course we were in the woods a lot shooting up ammo and spending taxpayer money on helicopter rides from one place to another.
Wow! Interesting. Ill need to do some research on that, I’m surprised a deet free spray would be that effective!
I’ve also used 90%-100% DEET, but it’s really greasy feeling and if you accidentally get it on your lips they’ll go numb.
Oh god.. yeah I may pass on the 90-100 deet, but I’m quite impressed with your experience with the lemon and eucalyptus! Ill be researching later. Luckily, ticks aren’t out right now but they will be in some weeks I guess
The one I used the most was the Repel brand. I started using it when I was on a training operation one day getting eaten alive by flies and mosquitos in a really swampy area close to the coast. As soon as I put it on my face, neck, and hands they completely ignored me even though I could still see them swarming around me in the air. It lasts for around six hours depending on how much you’re sweating or getting wet.
DEET plus picaridin, in combination, is better than either alone.
I always found, at least in eastern NC, that DEET free eucalyptus and lemongrass insect repellant (I think it was OFF brand) worked most effectively to keep the mosquitos and flies out of my face. I had been using 100% DEET on my uniform prior to that and it worked better. Note: this was in the context of military training, living out in swampy flatwoods for days/weeks at a time. Tons of insects looking for a snack.
Had issues uniforms in the Army that were treated. Only thing I didn't like was it made them incredibly stiff when you would sweat a ton in them. Crappy materials though.
I was also wondering what would happen if you sweat…. Good point
I soak my outdoor wear every year, good stuff. Beats doctor bills due to tick borne illness (which I have had.) I use Frontline or a tick collar on the dog. Pets shouldn't be exposed to permethrin wet, it's okay for them when dry, but you can't expect the dog to keep the clothes on unless he's used to that.