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If you’re grossed out by the idea that you might be bitten by a tick this year (chances are good, to be honest), 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 set up a barrier between hungry ticks and your delicious, blood-filled flesh.
Ticks need to spend time in dirt or leaf litter to avoid drying out, so they hang out close to the ground. They find us by climbing a stalk of grass and reaching out with their little legs when we walk by. (They’ll settle for a deer, rabbit, or mouse instead of a person—they’re not picky.) Once they find a warm body, they crawl upwards.
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 tend to 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 toward protecting you all summer.
You can add to that protection by using permethrin on your socks, pants, and other clothing and gear—like tents and backpacks, if you go camping. Bug spray for your skin (containing an effective active ingredient like DEET) is a separate item, but it’s a good defense, too. Bonus: Permethrin and DEET also protect against mosquitoes.
What is permethrin and how does it work?
Permethrin is an insecticide that was originally derived from the chrysanthemum flower, but the stuff you can buy today is a synthetic version. It’s safe for people and pets unless you somehow manage to ingest, inhale, or absorb a large amount of it. Please note that permethrin spray is intended for use on clothing and objects, and not on skin. It can irritate skin, 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 are exposed to it, even for a very short time, they have difficulty walking and moving, and are probably unable to bite. Lab tests show that ticks, normally good climbers, tend to fall off of permethrin-treated clothing. Mosquitoes, similarly, can be killed or incapacitated by permethrin on clothing.
Permethrin shouldn’t be your only defense against ticks (or mosquitoes); a repellent spray on your skin is an important second layer of protection. But it’s a huge help, especially for those times you’re just stepping out into the backyard, or when you forget the bug spray until you’re already deep in the woods.
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How to apply permethrin to your shoes, clothes, and camping gear
One of permethrin’s most convenient features is that it can stick to clothing for weeks or even months, despite multiple washings. You can also buy clothes that are already treated with permethrin; just check camping gear suppliers.
But you can also do it yourself. Buy a bottle of permethrin spray that contains 0.5% permethrin. This is an EPA-registered pesticide, and it will come with detailed instructions on the label. Here are a few options:
Basically, you’ll want to go outdoors (or into a well-ventilated area) and lay your clothing out flat. For shoes, remove the laces and open the shoes up as much as possible. Then spray enough of the permethrin to get the fabric visibly wet, and allow it to fully dry before you wear it. Besides shoes and clothes, 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 washings, whichever comes first. Don’t forget to reapply when time is up.
