Tick Repellant

[JoePa]

I've read that Permethrin is a better tick repellant than Deet - but the one bad thing about it is - it is very toxic to cats and fish - the stuff can be sprayed on your clothes and after it dries it will last for weeks - it will kill any tick that gets in contact with it - the problem is - I have a cat and sure don't want anything to happen to it - I wondering if someone has this repellant on their clothes would that be enough to be toxic to a cat - or is it dangerous only if you would spray it on a cat - any thoughts on this -

We have a lot of deer ticks around here and I go into the woods a lot to hunt and cut firewood so a good repellant would be very useful -

[Harry Chickpea]

We have a feral cat around that does our mousing for a small fee. Curiously, although there are ticks, I have never seen one on her. Puzzling.

[billinwv]

Most permethrin poisonings in cats has been from using dog spot on flea treatments on them. It is highly toxic in small amounts and I just wouldn't use it. I only spray repellents outdoors and put clothing in wash so my cat can't come in contact with them. They are just too nosey for their own good.

[TxAprilMagic]

Originally Posted by JoePa

I've read that Permethrin is a better tick repellant than Deet - but the one bad thing about it is - it is very toxic to cats and fish - the stuff can be sprayed on your clothes and after it dries it will last for weeks - it will kill any tick that gets in contact with it - the problem is - I have a cat and sure don't want anything to happen to it - I wondering if someone has this repellant on their clothes would that be enough to be toxic to a cat - or is it dangerous only if you would spray it on a cat - any thoughts on this -

We have a lot of deer ticks around here and I go into the woods a lot to hunt and cut firewood so a good repellant would be very useful -

Sulfur in your socks and shoes does the trick for ticks.
Ticks don't jump, they crawl so it is your shoes, socks and the cuff of your pants you need to treat and maybe up to your knees. You can buy sulfur at any drug counter. I order it from HUMCO 1800-662-3435
You can also put sulfur in your garden dirt and make your peppers xtra hot.
You can also use Orange Oil , I order that from Avant-Garde Organics
972-347-3330 Hope this helps.

[Homesteader1]

Thanks for the tip.

[JoePa]

I think what I'm gonna do is take a pair of pants and spray the lower part of the legs and also a pair of boots with the permethrin - then wear them when I go into the woods to cut firewood - when I'm done I'll take them off and put on other pants and boots - and leave the sprayed ones in the barn - that way my cat - Annie - won't get in contact with the stuff -

[HermitJohn]

You dont want to apply or get wet permethrin on cats skin or for them to breathe or ingest the aerosol. However once its dry on your clothes, it wont harm them as its next to impossible for them to absorb it at that point.

For humans, it only works when applied to clothing. Dried onto clothing, it can remain effective against ticks for many days. I keep treated work clothes in plastic garbage bag when I remove them, then can rewear them again. Its not only non-toxic to humans, but human skin will quickly break it down, and make it non-toxic to ticks. Thus pointless to apply it to your skin.

The permethrin sold for this purpose is way overpriced. Look for RAID in the blue can (not the generic stuff), permethrin will be only active ingredient and it works as well as the specialty version sold for tick prevention.

[Rectifier]

I apply permethrin to my dogs and it keeps them tick free. As for myself, I tuck my pants into my socks

As far as spray on repellents go, in the states you have access to picaridin which is safer, odourless and superior to DEET. I would use that instead of DEET for your general bug repellent.

I would also advise other Canucks to acquire a bottle or two "somehow". Good stuff. Someday it will be approved here, like it is in the rest of the world.