Permethrin Question

Lone Hunter

Lone Hunter

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I have always used some sort of spray Permethrin for chigger and tick control. I am currently using Sawyers and like it. I keep seeing guys say go to Tractor Supply and buy some permethrin concentrate and soak your clothes in it. I sweat really bad and wondered if your clothes soaked( I know they would be dry before I put them on) would transmit any Permethrin to your skin and if it did would it matter? How much Permethrin do you use to the amount of water? How often do you soak your clothes? They say with the Sawyers it last about 2 weeks. I don't think it would last that long as I perspire real heavy. My clothes are soaked completely through and usually I have to wring my socks out. Also, I don't like wearing sweaty clothes the next day but if you're at camp you have to if you stay many days. If I'm hunting from home I will wash them and use a different set of clothes. I guess in my long winded post is what I'm asking is it better to use spray permethrin or buy some concentrate and soak your clothes? The best thing about Summer Time is it finally goes away. I hate the heat and bugs.
 
A mixture making a quart should last you a couple years.Spray but don't soak. 1 spraying should last you 3 or 4 hunts. Regular washing it doesn't wash it out. Clothes only but really won't hurt you unless you take a bath in it.
 
sgtwebb1 said:
Buy the concentrate, mix 2ounces Permethrin per 32 ounces water in a spray bottle.
Spray clothes, sox, boots pretty heavily.
Reapply about every week or 2.
Never have ticks on me.

Here's what I've used for many years;

Amazon product ASIN B007TA5QNA
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Right here. Should last half your life!
 
I buy the concentrate and mix it in a spray bottle and spray it on. I spray it on so that my clothes are pretty wet. Probably not as wet as soaking them, but wet.

On a couple of really hot days, when out scouting, I've sweated so much my clothes were soaked. I did get a bit of a rash and I assume it was the permethrin coming out of the sweat soaked clothes. It was only on my calves where my soaked pants were rubbing. It cleared up after a few days. But like you said, it will cool off soon.
 
JCDEERMAN said:
I know @megalomaniac has a method of soaking his clothes. I've always mixed with water into a spray bottle and sprayed my clothes the day prior
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Nothing fancy, just mix up a bucket of the .75% stuff and completely.drench base layer in it. Pour it into a labeled jug and reuse later. I spray my outer garmets.

Used to hang dry, now I just throw the wet lot in the dryer, doesn't seem to negatively affect it. Didn't get a single tick on me this spring, only 1 chigger bite during Memorial Day weekend turkey hunt.
 
tahtah said:
I buy the concentrate and mix it in a spray bottle and spray it on. I spray it on so that my clothes are pretty wet. Probably not as wet as soaking them, but wet.

On a couple of really hot days, when out scouting, I've sweated so much my clothes were soaked. I did get a bit of a rash and I assume it was the permethrin coming out of the sweat soaked clothes. It was only on my calves where my soaked pants were rubbing. It cleared up after a few days. But like you said, it will cool off soon.
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This is what I wondered about. I used to bow hunt all the time and got sick of the heat and ticks. I always applied it heavily and sometimes I would get some bumps on me and figured it was either heat bumps or bug spray. Can't wait until cool weather gets here.
 
Lone Hunter said:
I am currently using Sawyers and like it. I keep seeing guys say go to Tractor Supply and buy some permethrin concentrate and soak your clothes in it.
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I have had excellent results with Saywer's for years and years. I bought some concentrate, mixed with water at the correct ratio, soaked my clothes in it, and let them dry. When I would sweat it would irritate my skin and it wasn't nearly as effective as Sawyer's. There are different brands, and (I think) there are oil based and water based permethrin concentrates. Maybe I bought the wrong one. I was planning to try a different one, but I haven't had time and I just keep buying Sawyer's since I know 100% that it works and doesn't irritate my skin. Hopefully it works for you. It's definitely waaaaay cheaper than Sawyer's.
 
I use Martin's 10% permethrin. I mix heavy at 17:1 water to Martin's in a pump up sprayer. I spray all of my base layers, light layers, and mid-layers thoroughly twice a year. Once the weekend before turkey season and again before squirrel/deer season. I have not noticed any negatives from this blend. That said, Lord only knows what's going on that I am ignorant of... I have the alpha-gal allergy and am unwilling to risk it.

I use a pump up sprayer which makes application an absolute breeze. I go through a bottle of concentrate every 2-3 years and use about 1/2 -3/4 of a gallon of mix each year.

I think the correct blend is around 19:1.

I have done this for the last 6-7 seasons and not had a problem with ticks or chiggers.
 
Martin's is the best concentrate because it does not have a petroleum base. many of the Permethrin concentrates contain a petroleum base because they are designed to spray directly on cattle. The petroleum base helps it stick to the cattle. However, it has an obvious petroleum smell. Martin's does not. I generally go through five 17-ounce spray bottles full per summer. But then I spray my clothes down every day I'm going into the woods, which is probably 30-50% of summer days.
 
All good advice. I use Martin's 10 (make sure water based) on Amazon. The dosage is 1oz concentrate to 16 oz water. It works very well. I admit when I was soaked from sweat on a preseason scouting trip I wondered if I was absorbing permethrin and if that was bad. But I know tick borne illness is bad. So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 
Bagg-it Tag-it said:
All good advice. I use Martin's 10 (make sure water based) on Amazon. The dosage is 1oz concentrate to 16 oz water. It works very well. I admit when I was soaked from sweat on a preseason scouting trip I wondered if I was absorbing permethrin and if that was bad. But I know tick borne illness is bad. So ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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To date, Permethrin is considered the most "mammal-friendly" pesticide known. Generally, it takes concentrations 10 to 20 times higher than what we are spraying on our clothes to see detrimental effects. Now is it good for you? No. But is it terribly bad for you? I would say only in very high doses.
 

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