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What Does Everybody Use For Tick Protection?


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I want to know if "Deep Woods Off V Ticks", keep ticks off of you.

Permethrin kills ticks but is Deep Woods Off V good enough to keep ticks off of you.

There never use to be many ticks in northern Michigan. Now there everywhere.

 

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I do use permetherin - it works well to repel ticks and you don’t have to put poison directly on your skin.  When I need to apply repellant directly to my skin I use Natrapel which uses Picardin. I don’t have experience with Deep Woods Off V Ticks, sorry, but if it contains between 20 to 30% DEET by volume as advertised, it should be a very effective repellant.

See this “Prevention” article for more info on effective repellent active ingredients (DEET, Picardin, Eucalyptus Oil, etc.) and suggested products.  Note Off Deep Woods Insect Repellant V (essentially the same product you mentioned above), is highly rated for effectiveness in this article.

https://www.prevention.com/health/a22095155/best-tick-repellents/

 

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Good link, Chase.

One thing to keep strongly in mind regarding DEET.  In high concentrations it will dissolve some plastics very quickly.  Several years ago I was using 68-70%  DEET and it got on a towel.  Still wet, I inadvertently touched the wet spot and then a laptop computer (fortunately just the housing, not the screen).  The result was that my fingerprint was permantently imbedded.  More recently I've used 25% and 30% DEET without such consequences.  You can get concentrations up close to 100% even at Walmart.  Good way to ruin a detector screen...

I also use REPEL Tick Defense with active ingredient 15% Picardin.  It works for other insects (e.g. mosquitoes), too.

Regarding Permethrin, it can be pretty expensive in many containers and quantities.  I've had good luck with affordability at farm stores (of which there are many in this part of the USA).  I think they use it on livestock (horses?) but it's the same stuff.

As far as what works best, I don't have a clue.  I'm particularly susceptible to chigger bites and both DEET and Picardin work for me with that pest.  I don't know about Permethrin and ticks.  During the warm season I wear long pants and long sleeved (sunblocking) shirts.  I use cycling ankle straps for extra protection from insects, then spray around the cuffs.

 

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I work in and around one of the Lyme Disease epicenters in the US. Having had Lyme perhaps half a dozen times, I’ve done some experiments. My current system is full coverall’s treated with Sawyer permethrin. I also treat my socks. This setup is highly effective. Since adopting it, I have not contracted Lyme. I also use Sawyer picaridin as a spray on when mosquitoes are bad (La Crosse encephalitis, West Nile, Zika…). We also have a recent emergence of Lone Star ticks, which I have personally collected a few. Lastly, in the rare event I find a tick on myself, carefully remove it (duh!) and take two doxycycline as a prophylactic. The system I use has prevented any tick-borne diseases since I fully implemented it. 

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  Great, and timely topic!

   Thanks for all the useful information! Bears repeating every year!

   Dont forget the pets; just got the two shot lyme preventative for my dogs, now that I live in the "woods"!

  Now when does the human version come out??👍👎?

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Grandfather used a system that I now also use when on land.

Use a mop bucket with about 2 gallons of water in it, then add the permethrin to the water to make a 15% solution.

Then roll a pair of pants and a shirt and place in the bottom of the bucket.

After about 30 minutes I take them out and wring them as much as possible back into the bucket.

Place my hat into the bucket and do the same.

Hang clothes on hangers and set outside to drip dry.

They can be used several times before having to redo the process.

Have never gotten a tick since I have done this.

Good luck and hope this helps someone.

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