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\n We may earn commission from the links on this page.<\/span>\n <\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n 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\u2014they’re not picky.) Once they find a warm body, they crawl upward.<\/p>\n 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. <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>. Please note that permethrin spray is for use on clothing and objects, and No<\/em> On the skin. It can cause skin irritation, and our skin can actually break down the chemicals in the repellent, rendering it useless. <\/p>\n
\nWhat is permethrin and how does it work?<\/h2>\n