WHAT is your favoite bug repellant for TICKS & CHIGGERS and other nasty critters?

[creskol]

I have been using Backwoods Off on my clothes for years, but it seems as though the formula is weaker or the ticks are resistant. I sprayed my boots, socks, and pants yesterday, and still found two ticks crawling up my leg.

 

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[Toecutter]

colman 100% deet, best stuff ever

 

[john845]

The cold winter weather!! I don't go in to the woods much during summer time. Between the ticks and mosquitoes.

 

[creskol]

The cold winter weather!! I don't go in to the woods much during summer time. Between the ticks and mosquitoes.

They are less active during the cold weather for sure, but two found me yesterday in spite of it.

 

[packerbacker]

Half and half mixture of water and Avon Skin-So-Soft

 

[GB1]

this may sound weird but worked my uncle use to work for a surveying co. and he would put flea collars around each of his boots and it would keep them off

 

[Older The Better]

Not a repellent but I don’t shower until I’m done being outside for the day, I’ve noticed soaps and fragrances draw the bugs.

 

[DiamondDan]

I inherited my late grandfather's tackle box, and inside was a little green bottle of Muskol 100% deet insect repellent. Takes two drops to coat all exposed skin. It is potent stuff, but probably not the healthiest. I watched a mosquito fly down on to my arm and it immediately keeled over dead. I though my uncle and I were gonna die laughing.

 

[Toecutter]

If its 100% deet its gonna work, i dont spray it on my skin unless they are real bad..

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

We don't have chiggers. Ticks are a real problem, however. The Admiral and our prior dog both tested positive for Lyme Disease. I've pulled two ticks off her and lord knows how many off our dog - but notably NONE since we started using Seresto collars on the dog . . . which are unfortunately ghastly expensive ($58). Active ingredients: Imidacloprid and Flumethrin. This is amazingly effective.

https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-3305-5-102

If you have a little dog I'd consider snipping off the excess and tucking it in your pants pockets!

I use a product called All Terrain Herbal Armor on my exposed skin. It keeps the flying insects away. May prevent a tick from attaching. May.

My pants cuffs I spray with a nasty product by Sawyer that is a squeeze spray Permerthrin. Seems to work. Supposedly kills, not just repels.

It is a synthetic version of pyrethrum. Which is bad, bad news for cats. You shouldn't put it on your skin or any clothing that will be in contact with the cats or washed with other clothing that will.

Supposedly the Permerthrin is not as toxic to cats, but it will still be fatal with enough exposure/contact. So I keep my treated clothing in the cellar where the cats don't go.

 

[randywa]

Get some screw worm bomb from the feed store. The spray will leave purple on pants and shirts but it washes out. Flies and mosquitoes don't like it either.

 

[RustyGold]

Apple cider vinegar in small spray bottle. Deet is the poison in wood preservative. Not healthy.

 

[Inspector]

One of steps I take along with my body & clothing sprays is a Bounty fabric sheet in my ball cap. I carry a box of them in my truck because they are definitely effective and keep my truck smelling nice too.

 

[releventchair]

We don't have chiggers. Ticks are a real problem, however. The Admiral and our prior dog both tested positive for Lyme Disease. I've pulled two ticks off her and lord knows how many off our dog - but notably NONE since we started using Seresto collars on the dog . . . which are unfortunately ghastly expensive ($58). Active ingredients: Imidacloprid and Flumethrin. This is amazingly effective.

https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1756-3305-5-102

If you have a little dog I'd consider snipping off the excess and tucking it in your pants pockets!

I use a product called All Terrain Herbal Armor on my exposed skin. It keeps the flying insects away. May prevent a tick from attaching. May.

My pants cuffs I spray with a nasty product by Sawyer that is a squeeze spray Permerthrin. Seems to work. Supposedly kills, not just repels.

It is a synthetic version of pyrethrum. Which is bad, bad news for cats. You shouldn't put it on your skin or any clothing that will be in contact with the cats or washed with other clothing that will.

Supposedly the Permerthrin is not as toxic to cats, but it will still be fatal with enough exposure/contact. So I keep my treated clothing in the cellar where the cats don't go.

Gave a buddy a bottle of Sawyer to use in a tick dense area he was suffering in.
The entire weeks work party including locals were impressed..

Farmstores (well some of them) carry Permithrin liquid.
Research can determine how much to dilute it , but if cost is a factor it is cheaper than Sawyers offering. Though I'm not knocking Sawyers.
Their bottles can be used for refilling with the other for safety"s sake. And a reminder of the cautions.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Here's some more info on the Permethrin. Permethrin Technical Fact Sheet

Note you should not spray it on yourself. Only your clothing and then let it dry before wearing any.

I still also have a few bottles of 100% DEET (Ben's and Jungle Plus). It does work for black flies and no-see-ums better than anything else.

For that matter, I have a glass half-bottle of DDT (Rexall Brand) in the basement I've been afraid to do anything with!

 

[Jim in Idaho]

really simple....Permethrin on your clothing, and Picaridin on your skin = No Ticks!
Jim

 

[Escape]

A lot of those bug sprays are loaded with chemicals. The following are all natural and safe for the whole family!

[h=2]MUD[/h]Although it may not seem fancy, mysterious or something a medicine man might whip up, mud provided American Indians protection from mosquitoes when they applied it to their exposed skin. A thick layer of mud is seemingly less attractive to mosquitoes than plain old skin, potentially masking some of the aroma that attracts mosquitoes in the first place.

[h=2][/h]Rancid Alligator Fat
Most humans may not think rancid alligator fat would be delicious, and apparently the same holds true for mosquitoes' tastes. This greasy substance was applied to exposed skin by the Akokisa tribe of the Houston, Texas, area. Other tribes used a similar method, smearing on a grease made from the fat of raccoons, opossums or bears, using the fat of whichever animal was available in their region.

 

[dokc]

I use the bounty sheets, rub it on my hair and arms - keeps knats and flys away then the high caliber DEET on the clothes and shoes.

 

[Kype]

Permethrin.

 

[trdking]

Deet is awful stuff but very effective. A double secret probation load of it on my clothes and Im good. Don't want it on my skin. When I was in the jungles of India we would put Vicks Vaporub on our skin to keep the leeches off. That worked very well. Those that used it got zero leeches and those that didn't all got leeches. I would think the same for ticks? Haven't tried it. I don't get to tick country much. I do know in California it is pretty offensive smelling to the Liberal Democrats Gets them moving.