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  1. #1

    Default Bugs Away treated clothing

    So I forked out the big bucks for my BugsAway treated long sleeve hiking shirt, I was all excited about it. When I was on the trail I ran into something where I ended up with 7 ticks on my right sleeve. "Cool," I thought. "This will be awesome. I'm just going to sit here and watch these ticks die and fall off." As they climbed up my sleeve and made it up past my shoulder, I ended up picking them off and squishing them one by one until they were all finally dead the old fashioned way. So what am I missing, besides my $85 for a shirt that apparently has no effect on ticks at all. Also note, sprayed my shoes, socks and have BugsAway pants, and found a tick burrowing in my calf. Yes, ticks love me.

  2. #2

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    You’re missing a great opportunity. Hire yourself out as a hiking companion. Your selling point is that you’re so tasty to ticks they will leave other hikers in your group alone.

  3. #3
    Registered User egilbe's Avatar
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    Sounds like your clothing somehow missed treatment. Return it

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    If you take a look at the "Bugs Away" literature, ticks are not mentioned. This is a repellent that is effective primarily against flying insects. It is not an insecticide that kills on contact like Permethrin does.

    https://www.orvis.com/s/insect-repel...rom-orvis/3741

    I work in the woods, and go through a full gallon of .5 % Permethrin every year.
    Everyone has a photographic memory. Not everyone has film.

  5. #5

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    Permethrin treated clothing works. Get the stuff that is designed to stick to clothes, such as Sawyer. Some people will treat clothes and gear with permethrin that is designed to be sprayed on the ground or on animals. Keep in mind that most of a bottle of full concentrate permethrin is not permethrin. So don’t put just anything on your clothes.

    My opinion based on experience. Not offended if you try something else.

  6. #6

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    I use the pants factory treated with Insect Sheild. Did a test with a tick last year and it was incapacitated in less than 2 minutes after crawling around on the fabric. It was upside down and barely moving at 5 minutes. My observations from this one event are that the treatment noticeably "scrambled" their ability to function within 30 seconds of exposure to the fabric.

  7. #7
    Registered User 4eyedbuzzard's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Old Hillwalker View Post
    If you take a look at the "Bugs Away" literature, ticks are not mentioned. This is a repellent that is effective primarily against flying insects. It is not an insecticide that kills on contact like Permethrin does.

    https://www.orvis.com/s/insect-repel...rom-orvis/3741

    I work in the woods, and go through a full gallon of .5 % Permethrin every year.
    Actually, ticks are specifically mentioned as being one of the critters repelled on the linked Orvis/BugsAway page, and it is a permethrin treatment that is stated to last through 70 launderings.
    Quote Originally Posted by egilbe View Post
    Sounds like your clothing somehow missed treatment. Return it
    ^^^THIS^^^

  8. #8

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    I watched the ticks for about a minute until they were about to get out of my eyesight. Would they have eventually died in another minute or two? Maybe? I don't know, but I wasn't going to risk it. I'll mess around with the shirt next time I go out in the woods, there's no doubt the ticks will find me. It's too late to return the shirt, I bought it several months ago and just got around to wearing it recently. Thanks for the replies.

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    ...............................
    Everyone has a photographic memory. Not everyone has film.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by 4eyedbuzzard View Post
    Actually, ticks are specifically mentioned as being one of the critters repelled on the linked Orvis/BugsAway page, and it is a permethrin treatment that is stated to last through 70 launderings.
    ^^^THIS^^^
    How in heck did I miss that. But repel? Ticks aren't that mobile being that they don't fly...Thank God.
    Everyone has a photographic memory. Not everyone has film.

  11. #11

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    Ticks have been shown, at least in part, to be attracted through their olfactory receptors. Odor plays a part in who is more vulnerable as an attractant.

  12. #12

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    85 for a shirt? That's too steep man. I used a coupon code for insectshield.com and they sent me out a USPS package to ship the clothes I wanted treated and it was $65. I managed to cram in tons of clothing: some pants, 2 long sleeve shirts, baselayer top and bottom, three pairs of socks. Had the clothes back to me in 4 days (granted I'm in VA and they're based in NC). They also sew in a "insect shield tag" to your clothes to remind you they're treated. Also lasts about 70 washes.

    Edit: apparently bugsaway IS insectshield. The route I described is cheaper. Just make sure you dont send in DWR clothing....and yea as stated earlier something seems amiss with your clothing or how it was applied.
    Last edited by C4web88; 05-20-2019 at 13:01.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ADK Walker View Post
    I use the pants factory treated with Insect Sheild. Did a test with a tick last year and it was incapacitated in less than 2 minutes after crawling around on the fabric. It was upside down and barely moving at 5 minutes. My observations from this one event are that the treatment noticeably "scrambled" their ability to function within 30 seconds of exposure to the fabric.
    This is the "feel good" story of the day.

  14. #14
    Registered User The Old Chief's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=FreeGoldRush;2247250]Permethrin treated clothing works. Get the stuff that is designed to stick to clothes, such as Sawyer. Some people will treat clothes and gear with permethrin that is designed to be sprayed on the ground or on animals. Keep in mind that most of a bottle of full concentrate permethrin is not permethrin. So don’t put just anything on your clothes.

    I use Gordon's Goat and Sheep Spray and it works if re-applied after every 3 or 4 washings. It contains the exact same ingredients as Sawyer's Permethrin, available at Walmart, including the inert ingredients. It does not need to be made into a diluted solution prior to use. A gallon is about $13.00. I have used Insect Shield at $10.00 per garment with great results. They will sew a tag on the garment but that costs extra.

  15. #15
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    for those of you permetherin users....do you treat the entire garments?....as in the entire sock...or only the upper part not in the shoe?

    I remember reading somewhere to not treat stuff like socks and underwear that will be against your body. I don't really understand that though...its used to treat lice as I understand...so if a person can use it as a shampoo.... why not on their socks?

  16. #16
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    I use permethrin religiously. Ticks are scary as hell. But it is a neurotoxin. It has been linked to Parkinson’s disease for those who use it occupationally (much higher exposure than for us). So my pants shirt wool socks and shoes are treated or sprayed. But not my undies or liner socks. I go back and forth on my long johns that I use for pajamas. Life is a balancing act.

    Re occupational use:

    https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2009/09/occupational-use-of-2-4-d-permethrin-triple-the-risk-of-parkinsons-disease/
    Last edited by Midwest Mike; 05-21-2019 at 22:20. Reason: Hit post too soon

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