TICKS! Are You Tired of Treating your Outdoor Clothes with Permethrin?

[uncle eddie]

For all you outdoorsmen and women out there fighting the tick battle … are you tired of spraying your clothes with permethrin after every wash? I sure was. Alpha Gal Syndrome, Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and the rest had me scared enough to keep treating my gear religiously. But constantly reapplying is a huge hassle.

To make the threat even more real to me, I teach folks battling Alpha Gal Syndrome how to make "safe" chicken sausage, or I make it for them, on request. When I see how limited their diet is, this made me search for something better than treating my "outdoor" clothes with permethrin after every wash.

So I finally pulled the trigger and ordered ElimiTick clothing from Gamehide (www.gamehide.com). Yes, it’s an investment ... but the bundles give you the best value. What sold me was the "Insect Shield" technology ... the permethrin is bonded right into the fabric, is odor free and stays effective for up to 70 washes.

 

[chopsaw]

I'd have to cut grass at Mom's in full camo !!

 

[Winterrider]

Regular permethrin spray is suppose to be good for 4-6 washing of clothes treated. I usually re-do my jeans after 5th.

 

[jcam222]

They are so bad anymore I've given up morel hunting and pretty much stay out of the woods. Sucks

 

[ajbert]

I have yet to see a tick here around the house and have never found one on the dogs over the years. Last time I had to use permethrin, and the first time also, was when I was in Iraq. Every time we turned in the dirty uniforms they came back treated with permethrin. Never knew of anyone finding a tick but there were some of those BIG spiders here and there.

 

[Fueling Around]

I've been thru Lyme's (camped a week in the deer tick hot area). Caught it early and full recovery.

My MN home area is laden with the regular necklace ticks, not deer ticks. Outside of the RMSF and AGS zones. Spring time those blood sicking females are very aggressive.
Haven't resorted to extreme measures as I practice due diligence.

I feel for you in the hot zones.

Regular permethrin spray is suppose to be good for 4-6 washing of clothes treated. I usually re-do my jeans after 5th.

What spray do you use? This is a great option.

 

[Timber II]

I used Sawyer spray all turkey season - only got one tick BUT it was on a day I didn’t hunt and worked in the yard in shorts

 

[normanaj]

The wife and I have both had Lyme quite badly.

Looked into pretreated clothing and couldn't justify the cost in comparison to 3 cans of Permethrin a season and that's with a good friend of ours who's a sales vp for the company that makes the clothing for the govt.And to be honest even if I went with pretreated I would still treat them myself as I'm that paranoid over tick borne diseases and being on Doxycycline for 3 weeks sucked too.

I have a dedicated set of clothing for fishing/walking and another set for yard work and one heavy sweatshirt for cold weather.These get washed once a month and treated once a month, the sweatshirt gets washed once a season but is on the same treatment schedule when being used.

As far as exposed skin I've had issues with Deet and use a Picaridin based spray which works just as well with the advantage of no smell or feeling on the skin.

 

[uncle eddie]

I'd have to cut grass at Mom's in full camo !!

In the bundles they have some "regular" pants and long-sleeved t-shirts

 

[uncle eddie]

I've been thru Lyme's (camped a week in the deer tick hot area). Caught it early and full recovery.

My MN home area is laden with the regular necklace ticks, not deer ticks. Outside of the RMSF and AGS zones. Spring time those blood sicking females are very aggressive.
Haven't resorted to extreme measures as I practice due diligence.

I feel for you in the hot zones.

What spray do you use? This is a great option.

@Fueling Around
There are a few sprays and liquids.
If you spray - so the inside and outside of the clothes and let dry fully
The liquid versions allows for dunking of the clothing - hang dry.

 

[sandyut]

I have yet to see a tick here around the house and have never found one on the dogs over the years.

Same. People on the local FB groups swear they are here, but I have never seen one.

 

[chopsaw]

pretty much stay out of the woods.

Same here .

 

[Fueling Around]

The wife and I have both had Lyme quite badly.
...
and being on Doxycycline for 3 weeks sucked too.
...

Feel for you. I was on the Doxy for 2 weeks and it cleared up with no side effects.
Friend from Seattle went un diagnosed for over a year. By the time they figured it out his immune system was so compromised it triggered advanced ALS He passed away in less than a year.

 

[normanaj]

Feel for you. I was on the Doxy for 2 weeks and it cleared up with no side effects.
Friend from Seattle went un diagnosed for over a year. By the time they figured it out his immune system was so compromised it triggered advanced ALS He passed away in less than a year.

I got it Memorial day weekend 2019,found a tick in my left leg Friday night and was in the doc's office Monday morning feeling like I was dying.The doc called in the scrip before she even saw me to test me.That stuff tore my insides up and I had to force myself to eat so I could hold down the pills so as not to puke.I took two weeks out of work and when I finally did go back I couldn't even get through half the day without going home to lie down.

The wife not so lucky she got it a year later so you can imagine the stupidity of trying to see a doctor and get diagnosed over the damn phone,after several weeks of moronic diagnoses they finally had her come to the parking lot and took blood and she tested positive for lyme. She tolerated the Doxycycline much better than I did.

 

[Winterrider]

I've been thru Lyme's (camped a week in the deer tick hot area). Caught it early and full recovery.

My MN home area is laden with the regular necklace ticks, not deer ticks. Outside of the RMSF and AGS zones. Spring time those blood sicking females are very aggressive.
Haven't resorted to extreme measures as I practice due diligence.

I feel for you in the hot zones.

What spray do you use? This is a great option.

https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP657-Permethrin-Repellent/dp/B001ANQVYU/ref=asc_df_B001ANQVYU?tag=bingshoppinga-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80676876081117&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=t&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=110731&hvtargid=pla-4584276354300043&msclkid=5ee20aa2708c139eda49635931921711&th=1&psc=1

 

[archeryrob]

Avid outdoorsman here and something I never see people talk about with ticks is wearing dark clothing in the woods. I wear green, blue, grey or black in the woods. No white, beige, light grey or white. Animals have white under bellies and that attracts the ticks to a host.

Research indicates that ticks are attracted to light-colored clothing, such as white and yellow, rather than being repelled by them. A 2005 Swedish study found that participants wearing light clothing attracted significantly more ticks—averaging 20.8 more ticks per person—than those wearing dark clothing.

While light colors make it easier to spot and remove ticks, they also increase the likelihood of attachment. Ticks use visual cues to detect hosts, reaching out toward lighter colors that contrast with the darker vegetation they typically inhabit. Consequently, wearing dark clothing may reduce initial attraction, though light clothing offers superior visibility for detection.

 

[BugHunter]

If you know someone with Alpha Gal, tell them to get some Ivermectin Paste and give that a try. They can go back to eating beef and pork. Talked to a friend yesterday who often comes for dinner here and specifically asked if I can finally go back to ONE menu for everyone... lol. Yep, beef and pork back on the menu.

 

[normanaj]

Great.

https://www.wpri.com/health/ri-man-contracts-rare-tick-borne-powassan-virus/