Soaking Clothes In Permethrin

[Happy Myles]

I have used Permethrin for decades with no ill effects. For me, its most important feature is it helps keeps The Fly (Tsetse) at bay. Once, i was asked to allow a French scientist to share my campi in the C.A.R. for a game count. She admonished me to use only herbal insect remedies because Permethrin and DEET were dangerous. The Fly were nightmarish, by the second day she was begging to use my supplies. Same thing happened when a South African PH accompanied me to the Cameroon, he was not prepared for the bloodthirsty hordes of insects. I also endorse Avons products. I have mentioned before I keep a small head net in a tiny stuff sack on my belt. I may not use it often but sometimes it is a big help. If nothing else I may wear it to keep bugs away during my noon nap. Kindest Regards

 

[wesheltonj]

I used the premixed Sawyers. I sprayed all my clothes that would be an a mosquito areas, everywhere except Cape Town and JNB. I purchased a lot of Army surplus clothing, packed them in plastic in my luggage to separate from non-treated clothing and left them at each location for the locals. The only treated clothing that I brought back were my DSC and SCI a safari shirts. More room from worthless souvenirs.

 

[BeeMaa]

I'm getting ready for a turkey hunt in the western portion of Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley (hunt report will be coming) and wanted to share my method of using permethrin on clothes and gear. Thought I'd revive an older thread...

The mix I use is 36.8% permethrin concentrate and has a yellowish tint to it. It gets diluted to 0.75% (Sawyer products are 0.5%) to soak my stuff. 1/2 cup of the concentrate added to 2 gallons of water gets you there. When you pour the concentrate into the water, it turns a milky white color and then has that familiar permethrin odor to it. I use a piece of 1/2" PVC pipe to stir it up in the plastic bucket.

I line a huge bucket (old pool chemical container) with a trash bag and add my clothes and stuff. Leftover things that wouldn't fit end up in a flat storage bin. Next time I might use a taller rectangle shaped bin and do it all in one batch. Carefully pour into the bags and squeeze out the air.

These will sit overnight to soak. Tomorrow I'll remove the clothing while squeezing as much liquid as I can back into the bags. Clothes and gear will get hung in the garage to dry. Leftover liquid will be used to spray what I didn't soak in the bins (boots, blind and gun slip) along with treating the outside of the house. Nothing goes to waste.

The 36.8% permethrin concentrate (1 quart) sells for around $40 and will make 16 gallons of 0.75% permethrin. The 0.5% Sawyer permethrin (24 oz, 6 oz short of a quart) sells for around $18. The money math is simple, it's just a matter of wanting to do the dilution on your own. We use it enough to make it worthwhile for us. Yard and hiking clothes, camping gear...etc

 

[steve white]

Scabies, a horrid skin infestation is treated with permethrin--whole body application. A very mild dose of same is in most all body lice shampoo. If it were truly bad for you, why would it be used in direct application to skin all over?

 

[sgt_zim]

Scabies, a horrid skin infestation is treated with permethrin--whole body application. A very mild dose of same is in most all body lice shampoo. If it were truly bad for you, why would it be used in direct application to skin all over?

Lindane (in a lotion or cream) is the pesticide of choice for treating scabies in lots of places. It's an analog of DDT. Oral ivermectin also seems to be good prophylaxis for scabies.

Not trying to pick at nits (if you'll forgive the pun), but your last sentence is post hoc fallacy. Just because it's a logical fallacy doesn't mean it's wrong in this case, but we've given lots of meds for lots of things over the years, and they turned out to be not very safe. Certain drugs pushed by Pfizer and Moderna in the last couple years come to mind.

Whatever potential harm may come from permethrin, it's a much lower risk than RMSF, Lyme disease, babesiosis, and trypanosomiasis.

 

[DLSJR]

You may laugh at this, BUT it works!!
I take normal dog shampoo ( anti tick and flea type) and shower with it.. Especially when getting back from the bush... Gets into all those hard to get to nooks and crannies!!

Did you drool and bark excessively afterward?

 

[steve white]

Did you drool and bark excessively afterward?

No, just circle several times before laying down...

 

[Nevada Mike]

It was a 25% perm/75% water,(in a 20 ounce spray bottle) and wetted--not dampened my clothes and boots.

Wow! WAY STRONGER THAN RECOMMENDED. I think .5% is closer to the effective dilution, I sprayed all my clothes and Boyt canvas gaiters prior to my trip to TZ. No skin issues and no bugs - except Tetse flies - they were everywhere but I was only bitten once or twice. Riding in the safari car with my arm hanging out the window.

 

[Mwag]

I had a tip shared with me about 10 years ago after a week long trip to Ticksas (Texas) county MO where the ticks would carry you off. Not uncommon to have 50-60 crawling on you at any time.

Started using Irish Spring soap and have yet to have a tick ever attach since. They may crawl on you, but will not attach.

 

[wesheltonj]

Well if you really don’t want bugs to bother you, there is alway sulfur pills, of course you stink after taking them. Not sure if you can even buy them anymore, but they worked.

 

[C.W. Richter]

Q: Did your PH recommend this?? I can assure you that being in the business of cleaning up toxic chemicals for 35 yrs, no pesticide is good for you! lol Why not read up on ticks?? Most do not present any issues if removed within 2-36 hrs of contact. That works better for us. Taking anti-malarials eliminate the need for the P-treated netting, etc. etc. NEVER, ever had an issue in any S. African country with insects.

 

[John Telford]

With the good rains of recent the ticks are rampant in the bush at the moment and will be so until winter kicks in and they die down some. We use a tick spray from the local outdoor shop or farmers cooperative. One is a local homemade brand the other is an aerosol by Bayer. Ask your PH to get some.
Pepper ticks are so small you can’t see the damn things!

 

[BeeMaa]

@John Telford - That’s more notes than I’ve seen in a long time.

I’d like to know what you were wearing. Pants or shorts? Length of socks? Boot/shoe height? Gaiters? Were any of these treated with chemical to prevent ticks?

I only hunt in pants, tall socks and at least 8” boots…all of which have been treated with something. Perhaps a bit uncomfortable sometimes but an ounce of prevention can prevent a lifetime disease from these little bastards.

 

[Rickmt]

Before I hunt anywhere with ticks or chiggers I spray all my clothes with permethrin spray . Brand name Sawyers available Midway or cabelas.
Lay clothes flat spray , flip , spray other side .
Special attention goes to pants and socks.
This includes South Africa .
I would not use high concentration mix because it is not necessary.

 

[BeeMaa]

Before I hunt anywhere with ticks or chiggers I spray all my clothes with permethrin spray . Brand name Sawyers available Midway or cabelas.
Lay clothes flat spray , flip , spray other side .
Special attention goes to pants and socks.
This includes South Africa .
I would not use high concentration mix because it is not necessary.

The advantage of the high concentration solution is the cost savings, at the expense of having to dilute it yourself. I completely agree with you always wearing treated clothing for hunting.

@John Telford - Apologies for the wording on my earlier post. What was written “notes” was supposed to be “bites”…damn autocorrect got me.

 

[HookMeUpII]

I am slated for my first safari in RSA in about 30 days. However, I am no stranger to permethrin. I use it, religiously, for turkey and predator hunting here in NJ. My buddy put me onto it. Here in NJ Lyme's is a huge problem and there are tons of ticks. My buddy said he hunted with a friend who didn't treat his clothes, my buddy did. Buddy: 0 ticks. Friend: 15, yes, 15 ticks. They were sitting side by side.

I use the Sawyer brand and just spray my clothes. Outerwear, socks, hats, gloves, gaiters, and boots. Never facemasks, sometimes a hat. I'll be doing all my safari clothes a couple days before Africa.

I don't know if soaking it is necessary. I will say I try to limit my exposure to the stuff and keep my 9 month old son and wife away from it at all costs. I figure if I grow a 3rd eye at least it's me and not my son or wife.

I've literally sat in piles of leaves, bushes, tall grass in spring hunting turkey. I actually watched ticks crawling away from me in the dirt. They will absolutely do anything to escape the proximity of the stuff which is A-OK by me. The concentrate does seem like a good way to go. I just don't see the need to soak. Spray it good, outside, hang it to dry, and pack it up.

 

[HookMeUpII]

Why not read up on ticks?? Most do not present any issues if removed within 2-36 hrs of contact.

I don't know what the status is in RSA but every tick bite in NJ is recommended to do the following:

- Save tick, if possible, for testing.
- Go to urgent care, give them tick.
- Usually a course of antibiotics is prescribed for 4-5 days

I just try to avoid all that and use Sawyer. If one happens to make it through, I'll go through the above steps.

I have family and friends with Lyme's. Fortunately, all them manage it well. Have a client who died many moons ago from a tick borne illness. I also have another client whose son contracted Lyme's when he was a kid and has lived with it ever since and it's been hard. It's a silent epidemic here in NJ with so many deer running around. It's going to get worse because these deer are now pushing into suburban and urban areas.

I'd be curious to hear if the ticks in RSA carry illness. I know if there are any tsetse or mango flies in the area, I'd prefer if they left me alone. I think to your point, for occasionally hunting I don't think it's a problem. However, if you're a PH, guide, or really avid outdoorsman...sitting in chemicals all day probably comes with risks as well.

 

[poco]

I got tick fever down near the Rio Grande and have had my fair share of chiggers ,
I am definitely doing the Deet and poison spray combo
tick fever I was bed ridden for 2+weeks

 

[JimP]

In my two trips to South Africa I have just used the low dose Permithin from Walmart or Amazon. I have not had a single tick get through the protection. I do give my clothing two sprays, I'll spray my clothing down and then let it dry before I hit it the second time.

On my first trip I kicked over a rock where I was sitting and glassing, there was a ant bed under the rock and they were all over my boots. But they stopped right there. We also hunted impala in a pepper tick infested grassland, and I didn't have any problems with them. Another hunter went into the same area the next day and he came back covered in them. He didn't use the Permithin.

 

[Hogpatrol]

. More room from worthless souvenirs.

Ain't that the truth?!!!