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Alchemist2000 · 06-17-2005, 05:36 AM

We have done a lot of off-trail hiking this spring, including in some areas where other people were reporting lots and lots of ticks and chiggers (e.g. LBJ grasslands in Fannin County along the Red River). We have had essentially no problems with these pests following our normal protocol, which is to pre-spray our boots, socks, and pants with permethrin. Now that it has gotten hot, we still spray our socks and boots, but have switched to Buzz-Off nylon hiking pants which are professionally impregnated with permethrin. The Buzz-Off pants are rather pricey, but save the hassle and extra chemical exposure of all of the spraying. Spraying, especially for something as absorbent as jeans, requires 2-4 hours of drying time and LOTS of permethrin spray, which itself is pretty expensive. We have been doing this for the last several years and have had very good results. The do-it-yourself spray reportedly lasts for two weeks or one washing (actually I think it lasts longer if you store the clothes in a dark plastic bag). The Buzz-Off supposedly lasts for a year or 25 washings.

Permethrin is somewhat different than DEET. DEET is an insect repellant (don't know the details, but have read it confuses the bugs so that they don't land on you and/or bite). Permethrin is an insecticide in the pyrethroid family of insecticides (similar to pyrethrins, which are extracts from crysanthemums or other such plants) that actually kills the bugs. It is only for your clothes. At least one site says that if you spray it on your skin, it will become inactive within 15 minutes or so.

I know some people don't like using insecticides. Like all such chemicals, I think it should be used with caution. I like the fact that it is only on our clothes rather than directly on us and that it is already dry when we are using it in the field (no threat to the gps or cameras). Although I did not go back and check, I believe permethrin is the same insecticide in some dog flea collars. Therefore I presume it is probably fairly safe around dogs. However, permethrin is supposedly dangerous in high concentrations for cats, therefore we are very cautious about when and where we spray (always outside and always away from the two feline members of our family).

06-17-2005, 05:36 AM	#2
Alchemist2000 Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Lewisville, TX Posts: 73	Re: Mosquitoes, Chiggers, etc. We have done a lot of off-trail hiking this spring, including in some areas where other people were reporting lots and lots of ticks and chiggers (e.g. LBJ grasslands in Fannin County along the Red River). We have had essentially no problems with these pests following our normal protocol, which is to pre-spray our boots, socks, and pants with permethrin. Now that it has gotten hot, we still spray our socks and boots, but have switched to Buzz-Off nylon hiking pants which are professionally impregnated with permethrin. The Buzz-Off pants are rather pricey, but save the hassle and extra chemical exposure of all of the spraying. Spraying, especially for something as absorbent as jeans, requires 2-4 hours of drying time and LOTS of permethrin spray, which itself is pretty expensive. We have been doing this for the last several years and have had very good results. The do-it-yourself spray reportedly lasts for two weeks or one washing (actually I think it lasts longer if you store the clothes in a dark plastic bag). The Buzz-Off supposedly lasts for a year or 25 washings. Permethrin is somewhat different than DEET. DEET is an insect repellant (don't know the details, but have read it confuses the bugs so that they don't land on you and/or bite). Permethrin is an insecticide in the pyrethroid family of insecticides (similar to pyrethrins, which are extracts from crysanthemums or other such plants) that actually kills the bugs. It is only for your clothes. At least one site says that if you spray it on your skin, it will become inactive within 15 minutes or so. I know some people don't like using insecticides. Like all such chemicals, I think it should be used with caution. I like the fact that it is only on our clothes rather than directly on us and that it is already dry when we are using it in the field (no threat to the gps or cameras). Although I did not go back and check, I believe permethrin is the same insecticide in some dog flea collars. Therefore I presume it is probably fairly safe around dogs. However, permethrin is supposedly dangerous in high concentrations for cats, therefore we are very cautious about when and where we spray (always outside and always away from the two feline members of our family).