Permethrin with a floorless shelter?

[69ChrisCraft]

I'm wondering if anyone uses permethrin when they set up a floorless shelter. I'm camping this weekend with the lady in an area that I've seen several scorpions. I'm afraid if she got a scorpion in her bag that it may be the end of the trip.

Any tips? Is permethrin even effective against scorpions?

 

[go4thegusto]

Gotta love this forum. I don't have advice but certainly am going to try that idea. We were on Kodiak with a Cabelas outfitter dome tent. We joked that Kodiak was an Inuit word for "island of spiders". We would lay in our bags and look at the dozens of spiders between the tent and fly.

 

[justin davis]

In not sure if it works on scorpions but it works on spiders and other bugs. Could be good re assurance for a lady who is a little skiddish of the floorless tent.

I've never had much of an issue with creepy crawlers in floorless tents thou.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

It works well for bugs, spiders, etc. No clue how it would work for scorpions.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Gotta love this forum. I don't have advice but certainly am going to try that idea. We were on Kodiak with a Cabelas outfitter dome tent. We joked that Kodiak was an Inuit word for "island of spiders". We would lay in our bags and look at the dozens of spiders between the tent and fly.

Kind of funny....not. I've never been a fan of spiders but I've never minded daddy long legs all that much until my first trip to Kodiak. I think we set up camp in the middle of a daddy long leg preserve. Needless to say from that point forward I have hated daddy long leg spiders, and now I kill them every chance I get.

 

[unm1136]

I think Larry Bartlett mentioned carring a zip top bag of Sevin granules to spread around a floorless shelter, much like a trnch around a tent to divert water. Sevin claims to good against scorpions.

pat

 

[rayporter]

i frequently carry a small aerosol can of permethrin on canoe trips for bugs. works real well on most. i know garden spiders die with the slightest whiff and brown recluse are almost immune.

it can be bought to mix with water and used in a spray bottle, too. me experience is the mix is weaker.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Scorpions are related to spiders are related to ticks. All are 8-leggers (technically) and tend to respond similarly to repellents and pesticides. I have no doubt that permethrin would be effective at repelling a scorpion. In a buggy environment I would spray the interior perimeter floor very close to where fabric meets ground; then go outside and repeat. I was stung on the face by a scorpion last summer, and trust me...you don't want that in your resume.

 

[69ChrisCraft]

Scorpions are related to spiders are related to ticks. All are 8-leggers (technically) and tend to respond similarly to repellents and pesticides. I have no doubt that permethrin would be effective at repelling a scorpion. In a buggy environment I would spray the interior perimeter floor very close to where fabric meets ground; then go outside and repeat. I was stung on the face by a scorpion last summer, and trust me...you don't want that in your resume.

Ouch. Thanks, I knew someone on here would have some experience or expertise.

 

[Beendare]

I think Larry Bartlett mentioned carring a zip top bag of Sevin granules to spread around a floorless shelter, much like a trnch around a tent to divert water. Sevin claims to good against scorpions.

I've done that with decon for mice....can you dig in the perimeter so the scorpions cant get in?

 

[Karlkortemeier]

I'm in Ga and we have tons of bugs (spiders, scorpions, ants, etc.). I just ignore the little beasts. My wife hates it, but that is the trade off with a floor less tent. In the winter, its not a problem. That said, my opinion might change if I got stung in the face like Kevin Dill.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Works good on ticks if you spray your clothes, bag, tent, etc...
No idea on scorpions.

 

[jlh42581]

Mix my own. No way it's weaker if mixed right the ratio is the same as sawyers. Permethrin 10...one ounce mixed with 20 oz of water. You could make it as strong or weak as you want. Its sprayed at way lower concentration directly on livestock.

Not sure if it does anything for scorpion but I live in a tick infestation and it works extremely well on them.

 

[WyoBowhunter21]

Do you guys spray this on the inside/outside of the tent when your hunting?

 

[Kevin Dill]

Unless camping near a vehicle and/or having some way to haul in many ounces of ready-to-spray product, here's the deal:

Bring an ounce or two of undiluted permethrin in a small poly bottle. LABEL IT. Bring a cheap 6-8 ounce plastic spray bottle, and mix your spray once camp is up. In dry weather you can spray outside the shelter, targeting only the bottom 2" of the tipi and the ground no more than 4" out from the tipi edge. Don't spray the main body of the tipi...just wasting product. If you want, you can spray the edges of openings, flaps, zippers etc. If bugs are especially bad, or in wet weather, go inside and spray the bottom edge of the tipi and a bit of the ground. Keep in mind that once dry, permethrin persists fairly well and doesn't wash away easily.

 

[69ChrisCraft]

Well, used permethrin as in above post (thanks Kevin) there were no ticks or scorpions to be seen inside the shelter.....plenty of ants and millipeds though.

 

[PA-R]

What about seed ticks, man those little guys can cause you to call your wife a bad name, would you spray the main area and perimeter?

 

[rayporter]

i use the strong stuff [aerosol] on seed ticks and chiggers. no quarter given.

if you mix it, mix it strong and use it fresh. spray before and after you pitch.

we got ate up turkey season in the ozarks last year cause we forgot the stuff. this year there will be a can in every saddle bag.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Do you guys spray this on the inside/outside of the tent when your hunting?

Yes...and my humting clothes and pack.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Keep in mind that spraying the perimeter of the tipi serves to help exclude pests from coming inside. It does nothing about whatever is already in there or living in the soil...such as ants, etc. If you have a really bad infestation of something, the answer is to spray the ground inside the tipi everywhere, then let it dry/air out before occupying. If you do this, keep in mind that anything which contacts the ground in there will also be in contact with permethrin. Don't lay your pbj sandwich down and pick it up later to eat.