Going to india next month, and both my wife and daughter react horribly to mosquito bites, whereas I tend to not.

previously, i always just used a higher concentration of deet (like 50%) on exposed skin, as it tends to ruin clothing.

googling insect repellents led me to permethrin, which will kill most insects on contact, and can be sprayed on clothing.

http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Permethrin-Clothing-Repellent-24-Ounce/dp/B001ANQVYU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368213544&sr=8-1&keywords=permethrin


there's also this: http://www.amazon.com/Permethrin-Control-Insecticide-Termiticide-caterpillars/dp/B005UUZ3OI/ref=pd_luc_sbs_02_01_t_lh?ie=UTF8&psc=1

which has a 36% concentration vs the other's 0.5%. i could dilute it to, say, 5% and still come out ahead.

anyone had any experience with it?

5/10/2013 3:36:58 PM

When I was still doing intensive field work, running the gauntlet with every typical southeastern parasite that makes you itch (mosquitoes, ticks, chiggers, horseflies/deerflies), I used permanone. Used to be available at Walmart in the outdoors/sporting/camping section, but I haven't seen it there in years now. Recently, I stopped by an REI and saw some on a shelf and I think you can get it online.

I've also used DEET, but it's just scary. Always burned my skin whenever I used it, and who knows all of the stuff of mine that it damaged.

Permanone isn't really that much less scary, except it doesn't go on your skin. As a matter of fact, the label will tell you it contains carcinogens, though apparently if you don't get the spray on your skin, you should be fine. You're supposed to spray your gear at least 4 hours before touching it, making sure it has sufficient opportunity to completely dry before making contact with your skin. I'd spray my field clothes and boots the night before I'd head out. It supposedly last through several washes, too, though I don't know much about this. I do know it worked pretty damn well. You just don't wanna spray your gear in the wind just to get the spray in your face. Wear gloves or a bag over your hand when spraying so it doesn't get your fingers. Hope that once it dries, there aren't any long-term effects you should be worrying about. Then, all you have to worry about is your exposed skin. I got to the point where I could tolerate bites on my arms and neck, for the most part. It's tough enough wearing pants in 90+ degree heat during summer, I couldn't go all-out with long-sleeved shirts and more to cover my face and neck.

5/10/2013 3:51:01 PM

We used it mainly to combat ticks when I was in graduate school. Shit works, you could see ticks on your pant leg becoming "disoriented" and then usually falling off you. I don't remember EVER applying it to skin though. We typically just sprayed our belt lines and around our socks (which our pant legs were typically stuffed into our socks). Some would spray their hats but I kinda stayed away from that.

I don't have much experience with it on Mosquitos or flies (typically a long sleeve shirt + deep woods off was good enough for them).


If you are looking around for alternatives I would also checkout "Thermacell" mosquito repellers. They make one that is battery powered and can fit in a shirt pocket. I used one on an early October deer hunt in eastern NC a few months after Hurricane Irene came through (the worst mosquito situation I have ever been in). It worked well, once it got fired up I was able to remove my gloves and head net while sitting in the middle of the woods/wetland.

5/10/2013 3:52:50 PM

I spray it on my hunting clothes and shit like ticks and mosquitos completely dissapeared. Like completely.

I kept it far away from my skin, because I read the instructions.

5/11/2013 11:07:08 PM

I use it on hiking gear and my clothes for walking new wooded jobsites and it has completely gotten rid of ticks for me, by that I mean I haven't had a single one since treating my clothes. It seems to have reduced the number of mosquito bites too, bit Fr whatever reason they have never really been attracted to me that much anways.

tl;dr
it has worked really well for me and I continue to use it and re-treat hiking/outdoor clothes

(also, I just by the $2 spray marketed to treat lice and bed bugs on bedding, its the same thing as the $20 spray marketed for clothes)

[Edited on May 12, 2013 at 11:47 AM. Reason : .]

5/12/2013 11:45:53 AM

I use just a few drops of 100% DEET jungle juice. Yes it can melt vinyl/plastic, but no it does not hurt or irrtate the skin, at least not mine. A small bottle lasts a long time.

5/12/2013 5:20:20 PM

we used it on our uniforms before our deployment to africa. used gloves for the application and had to hang them out to dry and not touch them at all when wet. seemed to work because i didnt get malaria.

5/13/2013 8:43:36 AM

I use permanone (active ingredient is permethrin) and it works. If mosquitos are your only concern then permethrin isn't as good as deet because it doesn't really repel, it just kills the bugs. The mosquitos will still attack bare skin.

5/13/2013 9:17:29 AM

So you spray it on and allow it to dry... so what happens when your gear gets soaked to the core from sweat? Wouldn't the chemicals leech out of the gear and onto your skin?

5/13/2013 9:20:40 AM

Quote :

"So you spray it on and allow it to dry... so what happens when your gear gets soaked to the core from sweat? Wouldn't the chemicals leech out of the gear and onto your skin?"

Permethrin & Deet aren't water soluble. (so, the answer is no) They are typically applied in an emulsion.

Picardin or Icaridin is another repellent that can be applied on skin, but isn't as bad as DEET.

5/13/2013 9:34:28 AM

Quote :

"seemed to work because i didnt get malaria."

success!

5/13/2013 10:02:37 AM

Quote :

"So you spray it on and allow it to dry... so what happens when your gear gets soaked to the core from sweat? Wouldn't the chemicals leech out of the gear and onto your skin?"

as someone mentioned its not going to leech out

you do occasionally need to retreat items, with washing your clothes it doesn't last forever. I used a sprayer to soak my items on the porch and let them dry. i pair that with a quick spray of DEET-containing spray on my boots and pant cuffs and I've been tick free for years.

5/13/2013 10:34:14 AM

I've used permethrin on personal gear for camping and issued gear, it seems to have worked well, but I've not done a controlled study. I augment with deet on exposed skin/cuffs

Do check application method when you consider percentage/ingredients. I like the spray-on stuff that comes in a 20-something ounce bottle, easy to apply but lower strength. There is also high-proof stuff that you toss a little bit into a garbage bag with your clothes and let them sit for a while. Other application methods work as well.

Most instructions say it's good for some number of washes. You may consider a way of tracking this, or doing seasonal applications. For a one-time India trip, the "season" may just be before you go.

5/13/2013 11:09:02 AM

yeah the plan is a two prong chemical warfare defense shield of permethrin for clothing and DEET for exposed skin.

I hate having to buy DEET, since we literally had gallons of 100% DEET lying around the house growing up. Random fact-- about 80% of the world's supply of DEET was manufactured in Greensboro till about 10 years ago.

I should be getting my jug of 36% permethrin shortly.

5/14/2013 1:35:14 PM

FYI Permethrin is EXTREMELY toxic to cats, so don't apply this to your clothes in the house if you have furry pussies wandering around.

5/14/2013 3:05:52 PM

toxic

furry

pussies

5/14/2013 4:05:56 PM

^^

yeah i read that, too and this is more evidence that cats are annoying pests.

we don't have cats, so not an issue.

5/15/2013 11:16:04 AM

Have you checked with a doctor for vaccinations?

I went there for a week once and I had to get a series of vaccinations. One that comes to mind from what I remember is Yellow Fever.

With mosquitoes, you're just going to have to wear longer clothes. Try not to go bare-armed or bare-legged. It's hot, but those mosquitoes can cause issues beyond the bad reactions.

The Army ACU's do come issued treated with an insecticide/repellent of some sort but not sure of the process. It doesn't kill on contact, but it does keep the bugs off. I'll find out if that process is available to other forms of clothing.

[Edited on May 17, 2013 at 9:41 PM. Reason : l]

5/17/2013 9:40:07 PM

can't take that shit on the plane. also they don't sell it in asia.

I smoke fat cigars all day. it keeps the hipsters away as well as mosquitoes.

5/19/2013 12:49:56 PM