What Does Everybody Use For Tick Protection?

[Johnny Phoenix]

Let me add one thing to this discussion, if you have a cat, permethrin is highly toxic to them. It’s said to be safe(ish?) once it has dried and bonded to clothing, but in its liquid form it’s a hazard. Dogs seem unaffected. I know birds are unaffected too, as treating feathers of young birds is how they can be protected from avian black flies when working with imperiled species. I spray the inside of my birdhouses prior to nesting season and it significantly cuts dow on parasites in the nest. 

[Tometusns]

I use lavender oil spray on our dog all the time and on me when I go into the woods. It’s a little more expensive but it seems to work very well and there are no toxic chemicals. One of God’s natural repellents for ticks and fleas.

[Gold Catcher]

For tick/bug protection I use permethrin pre-treated clothing, wear long sleeve shirt and long pants with pants tucked into my socks and covered in hiking boots. I wear a very thin hat that has ear/neck covering and that is also pretreated with permethrin. Then, before I start detecting  I spray 40% DEET all over my clothes and exposed skin (holding breath and not into eyes), and when it gets really bad I also wear a mosquito face net. This sounds extreme but I guarantee you nothing else will help where I hunt at times. Come and join me into the hot and humid North Yuba canyons, especially this time of the year. You will give up your natural lavender/lemon sprays quickly ?

GC

[Rick N. MI]

Perfect protection from ticks and other things.

[rvpopeye]

I've used them all except for the lavender . Including the net suits . The permethrin dip is awesome.  

They all work , sort of.   Repel40 is my go to , but I have a bottle of the tick spray too , Like I said I use them all,,, Anything is better than nothing in bug war.

I swell up like crazy with insect bites. Ticks , not so much but have a tick spoon for easy removal (of the bigger ones),,,agree the tiny deer ticks are the worst , and they are the ones carrying Lyme....

The DEET will definitely melt plastic , I remember the Estwing hammer handles that got slick when I was doing construction back in the 90s.

I also found out the hard way it will dissolve the rubber lining in my Grunden$  rain gear !

I wore it over a shirt and pants that was sprayed with deet a few hours earlier , so not just the liquid...?

You have been warned....arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh ! ..

 

I've also found the lack of ticks at the beaches a nice bonus !

 

 

[burlguy]

I dont understand the fear behind tick bites. If you get a tick sucking your blood just pull the dam thing off. I have had the double bulls eye on my abdomen from a itty bitty dear tick, no symptoms besides the rash. If its been on you less than 24 hrs you dont get Lyme disease, and this is from the CDC.

You guys must have some brutally infested woods and get multiple tick bites a trip. I had one on my scrotum as a 14 year old, was there over night during a camping trip, thought it was just tender from needing something. Discovered when I got home and took a shower. My friend told me I had to burn it off and I hung up the phone on him.  Pincher gripped and removed. Horrible discomfort for 3 days.

 

[Valens Legacy]

2 hours ago, burlguy said:

I dont understand the fear behind tick bites

My grandmother was bitten by a tick almost 10 years ago and to this day she still suffers from it.

She has been taking different pills 4 times a day, she has lost out on a lot of life due to lyme disease from those little pest's.

Should you ever get it you will know exactly what I am talking about, as she is lucky that she is still alive.

Her meds cost over $100.00 per day and she has to have a special diet to stop the flare-ups from it.

[Skate]

Yep my best friend (42 years of age, was in perfect health) got Lymes 6 years ago. He went from a muscular 175 pounds to 128 pounds. Treatments are not covered by insurance and he's probably $50k out of pocket now. Like everything else it probably effects everyone differently but who wants to take the chance? I never discount the experiences of others. I got bit by a black widow at school and all I got was a bad golf ball size swelling on my elbow (and some pain) whereas others might have died. To top it off I got no spiderman type of superpowers. 

[kac]

On 5/20/2022 at 11:41 AM, Rick N. MI said:

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.

 

I used to use permethrin but it breaks down your clothing. Deep Woods Off works and I just spray cuffs of pants, waistline and shirt cuffs. Some on the cap to keep mosquitos off your face.