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If you’re worried about the thought that you might get bit by a tick this year (honestly, the chances are good), now is the time to get yourself a bottle of permethrin spray. Permethrin-treating your shoes and pants is one of the simplest ways to establish a barrier between hungry ticks and your delicious, blood-soaked flesh.
Ticks have to spend time in dirt or leaf litter to avoid drying out, so they hang close to the ground. When we walk, they seek us out by climbing grass stalks and using their short legs. (They’ll choose a deer, rabbit or mouse rather than a person—they’re not picky.) Once they find a warm body, they crawl upward.
So if you want to avoid tick bites, the most important places to protect yourself are roughly from the knees down. You probably only have one or two pairs of shoes that you wear in tall grass (hiking boots, sneakers, maybe work boots), so applying a long-lasting layer of permethrin to your shoes will go a long way to keeping you safe all summer long.
If you go camping, you can increase that protection by using permethrin on your socks, pants, and other clothing and gear like tents and backpacks. Bug spray for your skin (containing an effective active ingredient like DEET) is a different item, but it’s also a good defense. Bonus: Permethrin and DEET also protect against mosquitoes.
What is permethrin and how does it work?
Permethrin is an insecticide originally derived from the chrysanthemum flower, but the stuff you can buy today is a synthetic version. It is safe for people and pets Unless you somehow manage to swallow, inhale, or absorb large amounts of it. Please note that permethrin spray is for use on clothing and objects, and No On the skin. It can cause skin irritation, and our skin can actually break down the chemicals in the repellent, rendering it useless.
But on shoes and clothing, permethrin is great. When ticks come into contact with it, even for a very short period of time, they have difficulty moving, and possibly are unable to bite. lab tests show Good climbers usually drop ticks from permethrin-treated clothing. Similarly, permethrin applied to clothing can kill or inactivate mosquitoes.
Permethrin should not be your only defense against ticks (or mosquitoes); Repellent spray on your skin is an important second layer of protection. But it’s a big help, especially for those times when you’re out in the backyard, or when you’ve forgotten bug spray unless you’re already deep in the woods.
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How to get permethrin off your shoes, clothes, and camping gear
One of the most convenient features of permethrin is that it can stick to clothes for weeks or even months, even after multiple washings. You can also buy clothes that are already treated with permethrin; Just check out the camping gear suppliers.
But you can also do it yourself. Buy a bottle of permethrin spray that contains 0.5% permethrin. It is an EPA-registered pesticide, and it will come with detailed instructions on the label. Here are some options:
Basically, you’ll want to go outside (or in a well-ventilated area) and lay out your clothes. For shoes, remove the laces and open the shoes as high as possible. Then spray enough permethrin to make the fabric appear wet and allow it to dry completely before wearing it. In addition to shoes and clothing, you can also treat tents, backpacks, hats, and other items.
Pay attention to how long the protection will last. The label may say something like six weeks or six washes, whichever comes first. Don’t forget to reapply when the time expires.
