Tick Repellant

[LostArra]

Does your homebrew permethrin leave an oil/diesel-like odor on your clothing? I've diluted the 10% livestock pour-on version sold at farm supply stores down to 0.5% and soaked clothes in it. It worked well for repelling ticks, but left a pretty strong (and persistent) odor behind. The smell isn't a deal breaker for me, but if I could find an odorless DIY solution, I would use it.

I think Martin's (the permethrin at Tractor Supply) has two concentrate solutions. One contains "petroleum distillates" which is the odor you mention. The other doesn't. I don't remember if they are both 10%. I'll check

 

[LostArra]

The Martin's 10% Concentrate SFR is water based and does not mention petroleum distillates.

The Martin's 13.3% Concentrate lists petroleum distillates on the label. The listing may be required (flammable maybe?).

I know I have purchased concentrate that did not smell followed by a bottle of concentrate that did smell.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I think Martin's (the permethrin at Tractor Supply) has two concentrate solutions. One contains "petroleum distillates" which is the odor you mention. The other doesn't. I don't remember if they are both 10%. I'll check

I think this is what I used to make my last batch, and, yep, it says "contains petroleum distillates" right on the bottle...I didn't notice that before. I'll pay more attention to the labels next time and look for a petroleum-free version.


Odor or not, I'll continue diluting concentrate as a cheap way to soak-treat my farm clothes...those usually end up smelling like some sort of petroleum (and/or "eau de bovine") anyway. For my hunting clothes, I might splurge on Sawyer if I can't find an odorless concentrate.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I wonder why that diluted livestock concentration would leave an odor from a home-brew when what I use off the shelf (same concentration) does not? An extra ingedient? A shot of diesel in every jug? Diesel fuel cures a lot of ills outdoors. just sayin'...

I was a very early adopter of permethrin and picaridin but have only used pre-packaged and it has always been super-effective. Generic labels, no name-brand in the begining. Now you can find it branded, of course. (Sawyers, etc.) The thought never crossed my mind to up the concentration, and I never saw the need to mix in bulk. (I am in the woods a LOT but each treatment seems to last a good whlle. For perspective, I do feel the need to mass-produce my own scent-killer.)

Not saying that the early stuff I used and made me a believer is the same as what you get today. I didn't memorize the labels. But this post makes me think...

@LostArra solved the odor mystery...some versions of the concentrate contain "petroleum distillates."

I treat several sets of jeans + socks + shirt once in the spring and again mid-summer for wearing around the farm during tick season. I mix up a couple gallons of ≈0.5% permethrin in a 5 gallon bucket, toss in the clothing, let it soak for a few hours, then hang it up to air dry. I pour the remainder into a pump sprayer and treat the lawn/dog kennel. A gallon of 0.5% Sawyer would cost me around $80. Or I can buy an 8 oz bottle of 10% at the farm store, mix it with a gallon of water, and have a gallon of 0.6% solution (that may or may not infuse my clothes with the sweet scent of petroleum) for $15.

 

[Archery22]

Sawyers

 

[Hipaitz]

Sawyers permethrin, used in Canada on a kayaking trip

 

[Turkeygetpwnd38]

Permethrin and gaiters, shirt tucked in, haven't had a tick in years. Make sure to spray pack and anything else you will be carrying on your person that they could come off of onto you bypassing your clothes.

 

[TheCougar]

Does your homebrew permethrin leave an oil/diesel-like odor on your clothing? I've diluted the 10% livestock pour-on version sold at farm supply stores down to 0.5% and soaked clothes in it. It worked well for repelling ticks, but left a pretty strong (and persistent) odor behind. The smell isn't a deal breaker for me, but if I could find an odorless DIY solution, I would use it.

You are using the wrong version. Martin’s has a water based version. No oils at all.

 

[dubbeltap69]

Tagged for interest.

I've sprayed permethrin on insects before and it seems to take a while to die. I was hoping for quick kill action like wasp spray...

 

[Reddish]

Just burn the entire area you plan to hunt each spring and fall…no more ticks!

That is effective, but frowned upon when you do it on public land lol. Guess I’ll stick with permethrin, drink apple cider vinegar and eat raw garlic daily. My wife won’t kiss me for 3 months, but at least I won’t have ticks.

 

[yfarm]

Was hunting last week in a Tick Eradication Zone in South Texas. Spoke with a Texas Animal Health Commission tick inspector about the fever ticks cause bovine babesiosis. Are endemic in white tails and nilgai and any hides or heads coming out of the zone are required to be frozen for 24hrs or sprayed. On interest was all summer he loads feeders in the refuges with Invermectin treated corn, stops 4 weeks before hunting season to allow animals to clear from their bodies. Nilgai we shot had ticks predominantly on their ears, found a few on us but did not attach. Fly spray sold at TSC for horses contains permethrin as the active ingredient.

 

[pirogue]

Does your homebrew permethrin leave an oil/diesel-like odor on your clothing? I've diluted the 10% livestock pour-on version sold at farm supply stores down to 0.5% and soaked clothes in it. It worked well for repelling ticks, but left a pretty strong (and persistent) odor behind. The smell isn't a deal breaker for me, but if I could find an odorless DIY solution, I would use it.

I just looked at the label of my 36.8% SFR Pemethrin. The label does say it contains petroleum distillates. But like I said, I don’t dilute down less than 2%, because I want the protection, and don’t mind a little odor. If I did, I’d buy the ripoff Sawyers .5% perfume that the morning dew would knock off, and welcome the ticks.

 

[pirogue]

I remember when, as a kid, I’d stay at my grandpa’s some during the summer, in the South. He lived in the country, and ticks were bad, but you knew it- it was part of life. His neighbor worked for the highway department, so obviously, he was exposed to ticks everyday. I asked my grandpa if his neighbor ever talked about ticks. He replied, “no, but they put something on that you can smell for a quarter(mile)”.

 

[basdjs]

Permethrin has always worked well for me. I even spritz some on my bird dog’s vest.

 

[Novahunter]

40% or higher deet, plus permethrin on the clothes.

If you get a tick bite, and have any questions regarding how long it was embedded in you then anti-biotics right away.

My former boss has Alpha-Gal. He can't eat any mamialian meat. It definitely sucks....

 

[dbender]

If you have a bunch of friends and family that have contracted alpha gal, I would look for another common denominator. I'm not sold on the tick as being the only carrier/source.

 

[bigbahksdude]

I'm a field biologist and spend large amounts of time in wetlands and thick brush in areas that have high tick densities (outside of hunting). Another vote for permethrin on clothes and picaridin on skin. Those in combination with shirt tucked into pants and pants tucked into boots (or wearing gaiters) is a winning combination. DEET has a different repellent mechanism that works well against mosquitos even after drying, but is not nearly as effective as a tick repellent as permethrin after drying.

I treat my field clothing with Sawyers permethrin, and retreat every month or so. I apply picaridin to areas that meet gaps in clothing (i.e. neck, arms at end of sleeve). Using this regime I rarely find ticks on my body during my daily tick checks after a day in the field. I'm down from several ticks per week, to several ticks per field season.

If you want to learn more about the science behind tick borne disease precention, here is a video by Dr. Thomas Mather (aka The TickGuy, aka Toby Flenderson) explaining basic tick anatomy and an extremely simplified explanation of why permethrin works as a repllent (video). Here is a link to his lab website (TickEncounter) and here is a link to an example of his lab's research into the effectiveness of permethrin (journal article).

And finally, here is an journal article from 2021 that provides some helpful context for α-Gal syndrome (journal article). Essentially, the consensus right now is that α-Gal syndrome is an amplified autoimmune response that we naturally have to a specific molecule found in all mammals but humans, apes, and old world monkeys. In attempting to protect the body from tick borne illnesses, our immune system is rejecting even tissue ingested containing that molecule, which is mostly recognized by our immune system in mammalian fats. Anecdotally, I have a friend that has α-Gal syndrome and cannot eat pork or beef, but has found he can tolerate venison due to its low fat content.

Anyways, that's what I could find over lunch. F*** Lyme disesase and α-Gal syndrome.

 

[Ratamahatta]

Women's pantyhose works from the waist down, just saying.

 

[Turkeytider]

Nothing better than permethrin that I know of. I`m liberal with it during turkey season. It`s ironic that the most dangerous critter in the woods is no bigger than the very tip of your little finger.