Recommendations for best Tick Repellent?

[Royboy99]

I use the Sawyers permethrin, spray down all my hunting outerwear every year, including boots, gloves, never have a problem with ticks. They say your stuff is good for a couple of years thus treated. For what the Sawyers costs and the easy-button factor I can't see messing around diluting/mixing other stuff to save a few bucks. One of the areas I hunt, the deer will sometimes have a few ticks. The other area I hunt a lot the deer will always have a bunch of ticks. The stuff works well. I like to back it up with some deet on the neck, wrists and ankles. I used to commonly pick up a few ticks over deer season before I started doing this routine.

 

[IDVortex]

I use Sawyer Permethrin here. You’ll enjoy N. Idaho this year. With our lack of winter, the ticks are going to be great....

 

[Turkeytider]

Good afternoon...I have a black bear hunt scheduled in North Idaho in May '26.

I have researched that Ticks can be a problem in the area particularly at that time of the year. Google Search is saying both 0.5% Permethrin and 20% Picaridin Insect Repellents are both odorless and effective.

Seems the 0.5% Permethrin is sprayed on clothing and gear, and the 20% Picaridin can be used on the same in addition to skin contact.

Looking for experience if one is better than the other???

​

I use them both. Permethrin on my clothes and Picaridan on skin. Ticks are the most dangerous critters in the woods. Whether you get it commercially ( Sawyers ) or mix your own, don’t cut it short!

 

[Mighty Mouse]

If you make your own permethrin mix, be aware that some of the higher concentration products marketed for livestock and lawn spraying use "petroleum distillates" as a carrier. Those that do will give your clothes a fairly powerful diesel-like odor (even when diluted in water down to 0.5% strength). The odor fades with time and trips through the laundry, but it starts off pretty strong. Water-based permethrin mixes don't present that problem.

 

[SteveAndTheCrigBoys]

If you make your own permethrin mix, be aware that some of the higher concentration products marketed for livestock and lawn spraying use "petroleum distillates" as a carrier. Those that do will give your clothes a fairly powerful diesel-like odor (even when diluted in water down to 0.5% strength). The odor fades with time and trips through the laundry, but it starts off pretty strong. Water-based permethrin mixes don't present that problem.

Yep, good reminder.

The Martin's 10% linked above is water based. There's some odor after treating your clothes, but not overwhelming.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Yep, good reminder.

The Martin's 10% linked above is water based. There's some odor after treating your clothes, but not overwhelming.

I'll have to get some of that before I soak-treat my turkey hunting and farm clothes here in a couple months. I've used some 10% Gordon's and 36.8% SFR in the past that did contain petroleum and made my clothes smell pretty strong at first. It was still much preferable to tick bites, but it got me banned from the laundry room for a while.

 

[TOLeary]

Good afternoon...I have a black bear hunt scheduled in North Idaho in May '26.

I have researched that Ticks can be a problem in the area particularly at that time of the year. Google Search is saying both 0.5% Permethrin and 20% Picaridin Insect Repellents are both odorless and effective.

Seems the 0.5% Permethrin is sprayed on clothing and gear, and the 20% Picaridin can be used on the same in addition to skin contact.

Looking for experience if one is better than the other???

​

This is exactly what I use and it’s been the best I’ve used. I spray all of my clothes and boots with permethrin and let them hang dry (just follow the directions). Never have ticks on me. I use it for my dog as well and he’d go from 7-8 ticks just on his head to never having them on him. I just reapply once I start finding them on him again.

Then I use Picaridin if I’m spraying on my body. I’m in the southeast so bugs are terrible almost all year round and the Picaridin is amazing. I went from getting eaten alive working outside to watching the same bugs hover around me but never land. Doesn’t smell or feel weird on your skin either.

Permethrin
Picaridin