Geo4kicks Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 (edited) I think we all have tried more than one way or another to try to keep ticks at bay... There is the spray on repellents. The old flee and tick collar around your ankles. Dryer sheets tucked in your socks and pockets. I have even heard of people mummified with duck tape wrapping their pants to there shoes and so forth. And I'm sure there are more I'm missing. I would like to hear how others fight these little blood suckers away. As we all know they can do more harm then just eat us alive. This last weekend I sprayed on all the deet I could and went to chech one of my caches as it was reported missing. We have had some flooding in the area. ( How far can an ammo box float ya think ?) Of course when I came back to the car I started picking off all the ticks I could see. After the first dozen, my wife says wait I have an idea...I was hoping it wasn't just to leave me there... I'm happy to report it wasn't... She came around with a wonderful device. A disposable lint roller. The kind with the throw away adhesive sheets. She keeps it in the car to pick up any dog hair left behind from our beloved cache hounds. And I also give my uniforms a quick once over when needed before heading into work. You would be suprized the amount of ticks you can get off your clothing before they get ya! Even those little seed ticks you can't even hardly see till two days later your scratchin that spot behind your knee. I know this is a little after the fact but I beleive it is a great addition to the arsenal. And hey what is one more thing stuffed into that bag going to matter...course you could keep it in the car...Wished it was my idea but all credit goes to my wife for that one... Love to hear anyone else ideas on how to combat these pest... Happy cachin Edited June 18, 2007 by Geo4kicks Quote Link to comment
+wildchld97 Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I think we all have tried more than one way or another to try to keep ticks at bay... There is the spray on repellents. The old flee and tick collar around your ankles. Dryer sheets tucked in your socks and pockets. I have even heard of people mummified with duck tape wrapping their pants to there shoes and so forth. And I'm sure there are more I'm missing. I would like to hear how others fight these little blood suckers away. As we all know they can do more harm then just eat us alive. This last weekend I sprayed on all the deet I could and went to chech one of my caches as it was reported missing. We have had some flooding in the area. ( How far can an ammo box float ya think ?) Of course when I came back to the car I started picking off all the ticks I could see. After the first dozen, my wife says wait I have an idea...I was hoping it wasn't just to leave me there... I'm happy to report it wasn't... She came around with a wonderful device. A disposable lint roller. The kind with the throw away adhesive sheets. She keeps it in the car to pick up any dog hair left behind from our beloved cache hounds. And I also give my uniforms a quick once over when needed before heading into work. You would be suprized the amount of ticks you can get off your clothing before they get ya! Even those little seed ticks you can't even hardly see till two days later your scratchin that spot behind your knee. I know this is a little after the fact but I beleive it is a great addition to the arsenal. And hey what is one more thing stuffed into that bag going to matter...course you could keep it in the car...Wished it was my idea but all credit goes to my wife for that one... Love to hear anyone else ideas on how to combat these pest... Happy cachin The lint roller idea sounds like a good one especially if you happen to be wearing a dark shirt and can't see the little blood sucking parasites. Personally, I have made a habit of (a) wearing my hair in a tight ponytail. ( Tucking my hair under a hat. © wearing very light colored clothing so I can easily see and remove the creepy crawlies before they have a chance to attack. (d) spray myself down liberally with repellant. (e) Do a COMPLETE tick check including those ummm *hidden* areas after exiting the woods or every three hours...whichever comes first. If I find that I've exited a heavily infested area and I'm covered with them...I'm not above runnning, screaming and stripping off all of my clothes while blindly slapping at all parts of my body. I wish I didn't have to do that at Lowes though.... The poor men shopping for lumber are still in therapy. Quote Link to comment
+JamGuys Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 (edited) I recently posted the link below concerning the superiority of permethrin over DEET in protecting against ticks on another thread. I've since used a permethrin spray on my clothing and gone out on a cache maintenance trip. When I emerged from the woods where the cache is at, I spotted a tick crawling up my trouser leg. I was just about to flick it off when I saw something I'd never seen before - the tick flipped backwards and fell off by itself! So, I'm now a permethrin believer! DEET vs. Permethrin Edited June 18, 2007 by JamGuys Quote Link to comment
+T F T C Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Permethrin is where it's at. If you add a tiny bit to your laundry, it will maintain its potency for weeks. Quote Link to comment
+hukilaulau Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I use these socks and pants. Then I spray any skin likely to be exposed with DEET based repellant. Then it's permethrin on the shoes and pants. I'm more concerned about chiggers than ticks. If you get the ticks off within 24-48 hours it's just mildly annoying. If you get a hardy batch of chiggers on your feet, you'll WISH you would die of Lyme disease. Quote Link to comment
+cowpill Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I remember as a kid we used to wrap towels soaked in kerosene, especially during tick migrations. Smelled a bit but kept them out of our britches Quote Link to comment
+triptrick Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I have not been a Cacher for all that long but been a keen hiker for many years now and I have had no run in's with these critters really, besides them being on my dogs from time to time. And down here on the otherside of the world (South Africa) we have these nasty beasties and others. I suggest Garlic, Lots of Garlic, But then again, it will also keep other species away... Quote Link to comment
+Nanomite Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I recently posted the link below concerning the superiority of permethrin over DEET in protecting against ticks on another thread. I've since used a permethrin spray on my clothing and gone out on a cache maintenance trip. When I emerged from the woods where the cache is at, I spotted a tick crawling up my trouser leg. I was just about to flick it off when I saw something I'd never seen before - the tick flipped backwards and fell off by itself! So, I'm now a permethrin believer! DEET vs. Permethrin I tried the permethrin on cloths and the Off w/ picordin (sp) on body this weekend. I did several caches in thick bushy areas and came out chigger free today! I even tested this experiment wearing shorts and sandals. I was pretty impressed with the results. Nanomite Quote Link to comment
+dew cache Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Believe it or not garlic is how I keep them away. As a kid growing up I was always eaten up by tick and chiggers/no see ums. I was a Boy Scout Master for 18 years so I managed to get my fair share of them then also. I started taking a 500 mg of oderless garlic pill every night before bed and now the ticks and chiggers do not bother me. The first year I started taking them before summer camp was so nice. My wife gets them when we are out caching but I don't. They still get on me but are gone within 24 hours, they will start to itch the next day after being out in the field and the second day they are gone. FWIW but it works for me. Quote Link to comment
+d-town cachers Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 I have not been a Cacher for all that long but been a keen hiker for many years now and I have had no run in's with these critters really, besides them being on my dogs from time to time. And down here on the otherside of the world (South Africa) we have these nasty beasties and others. I suggest Garlic, Lots of Garlic, But then again, it will also keep other species away... hehe, i'm a newb also, but i've learned that when it comes to ticks, there is no more terrified a group of people than in this forum!! it's kinda funny actually, how many posts i've seen on ticks. it's even funnier that this isn't my first reply on this topic! lyme disease is not funny. anyway, i agree that light clothing and a thorough body search is the best protection against ticks. one year we did get into a bad patch, and nothing we tried worked...we all came oput with a few hitch-hikers. but all in all, i don't really mind them that much. they're kinda like a rare mosquito...just annoying. Quote Link to comment
+rdaines Posted June 18, 2007 Share Posted June 18, 2007 Permithrin is really great but just remember that it is not to be applied to skin, just clothing. Having to wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts in the summer can be challenging but a darn sight better that getting those tick borne diseases. Quote Link to comment
+Alan2 Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 I've been using "Buzz Off" brand Permethrin impregnated clothes. Pricey, but they're good for 30 washings and I haven't seen any ticks on me after 16 washings. I figured that the alternative with the two week cans, the cost offset proabbly works out to about the same cost, so it seemed easier to just try the Buzz Off. So far I'm happy. I use the Buzz Off pants, sirt and socks. I even got a Buzz Off hat although I don't use that most of the time. I've also gotten no mosquito bites without using Deet, but maybe that's coincidence. I'm thinking of cutting up an extra shirt and tailoring it to fit my dog. He still picks up the ticks. Quote Link to comment
+Alan2 Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 I just checked their web page and they now say you can do 70 washings. Quote Link to comment
+imajeep Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Permethrin is where it's at. If you add a tiny bit to your laundry, it will maintain its potency for weeks. I just did some research, and most of what I'm seeing is spray-on for clothing, with about six ounces required to treat a shirt and pants. What do you use? Quote Link to comment
+JamGuys Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Permethrin is where it's at. If you add a tiny bit to your laundry, it will maintain its potency for weeks. I just did some research, and most of what I'm seeing is spray-on for clothing, with about six ounces required to treat a shirt and pants. What do you use? Maybe he just sprays it into the laundry! Quote Link to comment
+rdaines Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Not to push Cabelas but I was in the new Hazelwood, MO store on Fathers Day and saw that a new shipment had come it. Lots of spray (which I use) and a few bottles of the laundry additive. The spray is more popular by far. For me, one spray can treats one complete set of clothes, pants, shirt, socks, hat and backpack. Quote Link to comment
+imajeep Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Permethrin is where it's at. If you add a tiny bit to your laundry, it will maintain its potency for weeks. I just did some research, and most of what I'm seeing is spray-on for clothing, with about six ounces required to treat a shirt and pants. What do you use? I did some research, and I can answer my own question. Sawyer Military Style Clothing Treatment is the soak (rather than clothing-spray-on) product. Both REI and Cabella's carry it, and both carry the Sawyer spray-on as well. Can anyone provide suggestions as to which of these products (spray-on or soak) is the better choice? Thanks. Quote Link to comment
+vortexecho Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Permethrin is where it's at. If you add a tiny bit to your laundry, it will maintain its potency for weeks. I just did some research, and most of what I'm seeing is spray-on for clothing, with about six ounces required to treat a shirt and pants. What do you use? Maybe he just sprays it into the laundry! Thats a great idea, maybe one day you'llbe able to buy Tide with bug repellent added Quote Link to comment
+Harry Dolphin Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Oh, that should go over well in my laundromat! I've been wandering around in the woods for fifty or sixty years, and never saw a tick until ten years ago. Deer tick? Never saw one until two years ago, when I came down with Lyme for the first time. Quote Link to comment
+rdaines Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Permethrin is where it's at. If you add a tiny bit to your laundry, it will maintain its potency for weeks. I just did some research, and most of what I'm seeing is spray-on for clothing, with about six ounces required to treat a shirt and pants. What do you use? I did some research, and I can answer my own question. Sawyer Military Style Clothing Treatment is the soak (rather than clothing-spray-on) product. Both REI and Cabella's carry it, and both carry the Sawyer spray-on as well. Can anyone provide suggestions as to which of these products (spray-on or soak) is the better choice? Thanks. Your choce. I use the spray. I can apply it when and where I want. Let say you do the wash and forget something, bettee have some spray on hand. If you can decide, get both Quote Link to comment
+3 Hawks Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I just checked their web page and they now say you can do 70 washings. That's far longer than any of my pants or caching shirts last. Additionally, real cachers don't wash their clothes. They burn them. Washing your caching gear just washes off the good luck. We're in the midst of a tick explosion in our neck of the woods and the wood ticks are thick. I've only seen one on me and it jumped ship for some reason. I'm not worried about lyme disease 'cause I take doxycycline hyclate daily for an eye condition. I'll be taking this stuff until they put me into the ground. Doxy just happens to be the prescribed treatment for early lyme diagnosis. Quote Link to comment
+dew cache Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 I don't kow where everyone is coming up with 70 washings but Permethrin's web site states up to six weeks including weekly washing unless you are washing the cloths every day and twice on Sunday you will never get 70 washing in the 6 weeks. Below are quotes from their web page which can be found here http://www.permethrin-repellent.com/products.htm Coulston's Odorless Formula DURANONtm Tick Repellent, 6 oz. Aerosol Spray: Odorless when applied and odorless after dried. Treats 2 sets of garments. Non-staining and non-greasy. 6 weeks protection including through weekly launderings. Coulston Products product no.: 22200 Sawyer's Permethrintm Clothing Repellent, 6 oz. Aerosol Spray: Odorless when applied and odorless when dried. Treats 2 sets of garments. Non-staining and non-greasy. 6 weeks protection including through weekly launderings. Sawyer Products product no.: SP646N Sawyer's Permethrintm Tick Repellent, 15 oz. Non-Aerosol Pump: Light aromatic scent when sprayed, but dries odorless. Treats 5 sets of garments. Non-staining and non-greasy. 2 weeks protection including through weekly launderings. Use as a refill for SP647N EcoPump. Sawyer Products product no.: SP648 Sawyer's Military Style Clothing Treatment, 6 oz. Permethrin Soak. Soak clothing, netting or gear for two hours, reusable treatment bag and gloves included. Odorless when dried. Treats 1 set of garments. Non-staining and non-greasy. 6 weeks protection including through weekly launderings. The soak method is used by the US government and miltiaries worldwide to treat their battle gear for DoD permethrin applications. The latest offering from Sawyer available Spring 2005, this is the consumer version of the DoD application. Sawyer Products product no.: SP652 Quote Link to comment
+imajeep Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 I don't kow where everyone is coming up with 70 washings but Permethrin's web site states up to six weeks including weekly washing unless you are washing the cloths every day and twice on Sunday you will never get 70 washing in the 6 weeks. I think they are talking about "Buzz Off" clothing, which is treated at manufacture. Buzz Off says its treatment lasts 70 washings. Quote Link to comment
+dew cache Posted June 21, 2007 Share Posted June 21, 2007 I don't kow where everyone is coming up with 70 washings but Permethrin's web site states up to six weeks including weekly washing unless you are washing the cloths every day and twice on Sunday you will never get 70 washing in the 6 weeks. I think they are talking about "Buzz Off" clothing, which is treated at manufacture. Buzz Off says its treatment lasts 70 washings. Okay I see now duh! Thanks The spray on might not be too bad becasue I have already got the shirt and pants I like and two cans at $5.99 will last 3 months Quote Link to comment
+gelfling6 Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 Somewhere I read, or heard the best way to avoid ticks, especially since I'm right in the middle of Lymes territory, (Connecticut), is to never wear anything red in color.. The ticks are able to see infrared colors better than we do, and usually associate it with food. Hence, Always wearing black shorts, white shirt, grey baseball cap. Knocking wood, no ticks yet.. Stephen (gelfling6) Quote Link to comment
+Airmapper Posted August 26, 2007 Share Posted August 26, 2007 I use plain Raid (or any brand) ant & roach killer. Spray it on your shoes and pants and that will slow them down. If you get a wad of the tiny ones spray over them and they will die instantly. That is very important when there are several thousand of them spreading over you. I don't recommend it for skin contact, but I have used it on my skin in an emergency to kill a wad of seed ticks so I could wash them off. Quote Link to comment
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