Any Tick prevention advice?
03-12-2015, 10:00 AM
#11
Spike
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: Germany
Posts: 4
Don't have a big tick problem in the areas of Germany where I hunt but I still try to think PM. Under Armour, pants tucked into boots or socks, long sleeve shirts with tight sleeves and spraying my clothing with off the shelf products from the local gun/hunting shop. I've heard of a few 'home recipes' though, such as spraying vinegar or using a sulphur sock and/or wearing treated gaiters???
03-12-2015, 10:14 AM
#12
Super Moderator
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: South Central Missouri
Posts: 3,112
Several years ago, while outfitting a new piece of property, I was enjoying the bliss of being on a new property with tons of deer sign. The guy I was working with, although traveling through the same brush as me, spent his day picking ticks off himself. Then after he got home would still find more attached.
The difference? He was using 40% deet spray (I think ticks feed on deet. Lol), it sure doesn't stop them. I was wearing my permethrin treated clothing. I soon gave him some to use and he is now an avid believer of permethrin.
The only thing that will keep ticks off of you is never going to the woods. Using permethrin will drastically reduce actual bites though. I have watched ticks on my pants running in circles to find a way off. Lol There are, as others have stated, things that you still need to do to reduce contact. I treat several sets of clothing (shirt, pants, socks). I also treat the inside and outside of my rubber boots. They may crawl in, but have nowhere to go that isn't treated before they die. They can still get to your arms and head, but I generally feel them before they get too far.
During tick season, I don't go to the woods without my treated clothing. Trust me, it works.
The difference? He was using 40% deet spray (I think ticks feed on deet. Lol), it sure doesn't stop them. I was wearing my permethrin treated clothing. I soon gave him some to use and he is now an avid believer of permethrin.
The only thing that will keep ticks off of you is never going to the woods. Using permethrin will drastically reduce actual bites though. I have watched ticks on my pants running in circles to find a way off. Lol There are, as others have stated, things that you still need to do to reduce contact. I treat several sets of clothing (shirt, pants, socks). I also treat the inside and outside of my rubber boots. They may crawl in, but have nowhere to go that isn't treated before they die. They can still get to your arms and head, but I generally feel them before they get too far.
During tick season, I don't go to the woods without my treated clothing. Trust me, it works.
Last edited by deerdust; 03-12-2015 at 10:18 AM.
03-12-2015, 11:50 AM
#13
Typical Buck
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Midlo, Va
Posts: 558
Also go to your farm supply store and look for a product called EIGHT. Mix it 5 parts water to one part Eight. Spray your clothes down good the mixture and then let them dry. This is basically what they do to get the permethian treated clohes. It will hold up thru several washings. Do not use any petmethian around cats without a shovel present. It is very toxic to them.
03-12-2015, 05:34 PM
#14
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Central Iowa
Posts: 790
PERMITHRIN. Haven't had a chigger or tick on me this whole year, not one. I mix my own from concentrate and put in spray bottle - pre-treating my socks & pants extremely well and hitting all other clothes as well. one bottle last you the whole year....
I mix mine "TOO HEAVY" It's very easy to mimic the bottles you buy pre-mixed, very simple math. I think some of them (this is going way back in my memory) were something like .5% Permethrin. I usually have double the rate of the pre-mixed & soak my socks & pants - then letting them dry. Not recommending this for others since that's likely not on the label but that's what I do. Of course if your concentrate were 30% Permethrin - pretty easy to get your ratios of water to dilute to the same as a pre-mixed. I have zero ticks or chiggers on me - ever. Deet, deep woods off, you name it - all did not work anything close to what permithrin did in my years of using it.
I mix mine "TOO HEAVY" It's very easy to mimic the bottles you buy pre-mixed, very simple math. I think some of them (this is going way back in my memory) were something like .5% Permethrin. I usually have double the rate of the pre-mixed & soak my socks & pants - then letting them dry. Not recommending this for others since that's likely not on the label but that's what I do. Of course if your concentrate were 30% Permethrin - pretty easy to get your ratios of water to dilute to the same as a pre-mixed. I have zero ticks or chiggers on me - ever. Deet, deep woods off, you name it - all did not work anything close to what permithrin did in my years of using it.
03-12-2015, 09:12 PM
#15
Boone & Crockett
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: River Ridge, LA (Suburb of New Orleans)
Posts: 10,917
Chiggars can be killed by putting clear nail polish on the red/itchy spots where the chiggar has dug in
That's not so Wilcam. Chiggers don't burrow under the skin. By the time you begin to itch or see a red spot or a bump the chigger is long gone. The bump and itch are a result of the enzymes the chigger used to break down the cell and feed. You don't feel them while they are on you and feeding. Do a GOOGLE search on chiggers.
03-13-2015, 04:31 PM
#17
Typical Buck
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Northern WI
Posts: 853
Don't wear tennis shoes - these are a magnet for ticks. Rather, put on some high rubber boots as suggested. When the ticks are really bad, I have doused myself with DEET spray in a bad tick year and still got a dozen on me. I have not tried the permithrin, but I plan to!
The best advice: When you get back in, do a complete change of clothes and do a careful check. And place the clothes in the laundry or outside as they probably have a bunch of ticks clinging inside them, so you don't want a bunch of ticks in your house. Then check again before you go to bed. If you get the tick off you before it has much time to imbed, your chances of getting Lyme's is far less.
The best advice: When you get back in, do a complete change of clothes and do a careful check. And place the clothes in the laundry or outside as they probably have a bunch of ticks clinging inside them, so you don't want a bunch of ticks in your house. Then check again before you go to bed. If you get the tick off you before it has much time to imbed, your chances of getting Lyme's is far less.
Last edited by MZS; 03-13-2015 at 04:33 PM.
03-13-2015, 04:51 PM
#18
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Eastern wv
Posts: 3,421
Don't wear tennis shoes - these are a magnet for ticks. Rather, put on some high rubber boots as suggested. When the ticks are really bad, I have doused myself with DEET spray in a bad tick year and still got a dozen on me. I have not tried the permithrin, but I plan to!
The best advice: When you get back in, do a complete change of clothes and do a careful check. And place the clothes in the laundry or outside as they probably have a bunch of ticks clinging inside them, so you don't want a bunch of ticks in your house. Then check again before you go to bed. If you get the tick off you before it has much time to imbed, your chances of getting Lyme's is far less.
The best advice: When you get back in, do a complete change of clothes and do a careful check. And place the clothes in the laundry or outside as they probably have a bunch of ticks clinging inside them, so you don't want a bunch of ticks in your house. Then check again before you go to bed. If you get the tick off you before it has much time to imbed, your chances of getting Lyme's is far less.
RR
03-14-2015, 06:20 AM
#19
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: The "empire" state-NY
Posts: 583
lol!
I let the ticks win for almost 1 1/2 years by using this strategy, then they got me a few times while I was mowing the lawn.
Also, with the dogs bringing them in after laying on the lawn all day, I realized it was a losing battle and I was missing the woods- couldn't even shoot on my back 40 range without finding 1/2 dozen or so crawling on me!
Toyed with the idea of getting some guinea hens ( again) to patrol the perimeter but they only end up as dinner for the coyotes...that's when I 'discovered' permetherin, thankfully.
I let the ticks win for almost 1 1/2 years by using this strategy, then they got me a few times while I was mowing the lawn.
Also, with the dogs bringing them in after laying on the lawn all day, I realized it was a losing battle and I was missing the woods- couldn't even shoot on my back 40 range without finding 1/2 dozen or so crawling on me!
Toyed with the idea of getting some guinea hens ( again) to patrol the perimeter but they only end up as dinner for the coyotes...that's when I 'discovered' permetherin, thankfully.
