What are the best bug sprays to prevent tick and mosquito bites? Is the insecticide permethrin safe to use?

We have a bumper crop of mosquitoes, buffalo gnats and other biting insects right now. I am a magnet for them. I used rolled up paper towels and put a few drops of tea tree oil on it, draped around my neck and put tea tree oil on a hat. Seems to work. I did not get a single bite since wearing it. They buzz around me but don't land. I will cut off some socks and drape around my ankles to see if it works for chiggers.

We have used Cedarcide for years. We spray it on the area we will be sitting abd also on ourselves. The company claims it is safe for children and pets but I find little evidence of anything supporting this product. Just wondering if anyone knows of any reviews that are unbiased.

Landscaping on a Florida estuary where mosquitos will dive bomb you before 8:30 am. Successfully holding them at bay with Repel Lemon/Eucalyptus neck up (particularly my ears), Off Deep Woods on my feet and ankles (flip flops), and Sawyer Picardian for clothing on my hat, long loose pants (mosquitos will bite through tight clothing), and sun jacket. Also keeping no-seeums off me.

Years ago, I used a Picaridin product and found it ineffective during Western high altitude backpacking, so went back to Deet. However, when I was preparing for trips to southern Africa and Guadeloupe I used Sawyer’s permethrin on my clothes and found it effective.

Could you address the safety of petroleum distillates in Sawyer (or other permethrin for clothing) permethrin?

Oil of rose geranium is known to repel ticks. Can be used on dogs and smells like roses. I have put it on outdoor cat bedding and the cats didn't seem to mind. Rose geranium is also used to treat skin issues.

Can you apply permethrin to UPF 50 clothing? Does it interfere with the sunblocking effect of the clothing that blocks the sun? For example, Coolibar. Eddie Bauer, REI, Columbia all sell sin orotective clothing and hats which many people, including myself, wear for hiking and outdoor activities. Please advise.

My wife and I have been wearing Insect Shield treated clothing in the warm months to include socks, pants, shirts and hats, and neither one of us has had a tick bite in years. And there are lots of ticks in our part of Massachusetts. Also, we've washed this clothing numerous times before having it retreated, without any problems. You can send any article of clothing to them and have it treated for a very modest charge. (BTW, I am in no way connected to Insect Shield).

Is there an expiration date for this product. Does it last longer than one year?

Please don't forget the #1 most important way to reduce mosquito exposure. Eliminate all standing water. Even the tiniest amount creates the ideal place for them to reproduce. During the construction of the Panama Canal in the early 1900's, vast numbers of workers became ill or died from malaria spread by mosquitos. Eradicating all standing water cut the number dramatically.

For the past 15 years I lived in the upper Rockies, and from Spring to Fall hike once or twice a week hike in the in local mountains, from the Bridgers and Gallatins to Yellowstone National Park, as well as occasionally camp in the latter. Before that, I frequently backpacked in the eastern Sierra and Yosemite. That's given me plenty of opportunity to try different repellants. I started with Picaridin and found it simply didn’t work for me, which is why I then turned to and still use Deet based ones. I know that I’m hardly alone in this, both from what my hiking partners have recounted, as well as from the customer reviews of Picaridin-based repellents on REI’s website.

I was bitten mercilessly as a child by mosquitoes, yet barely attract any mosquitoes today. I'm not outside quite as much at dusk in summer as I was as a child, and for sure my skin is not as tender (!) but I am convinced that what explains the drastic difference most is my diet. As a child 80% of my diet was bread, pasta, cookies, crackers, pretzels and so forth; now I eat an unprocessed low-carbohydrate diet which must drastically change my blood and my skin microbiome. I am no longer appetizing to mosquitoes!

I was told to purchase a 100% Deet product. Is this overkill?

Its a good idea to take a small bottle with you to save the removed tick in. A tick expert can then identify the species and rule out any or possibly all diseases. You may be able to do the same yourself immediately with tick photo-identifying card.

Going to Africa (Botswana) - does the Sawyer 20% Picaridin repel mosquitos that carry malaria? Would DEET be a better option, and have you done a review on DEET products? TY so much for the permethrin recommendation as we will be spraying all our clothes.

Best tick remover tool that I have used is the Tick Removal Kit from www.tickinfo.com/protickremedy. The tick remover slides against the skin under the tick's body. Then you pull slowly straight out and away from the skin surface. https://tickinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02//proticktool.jpg Put the tick in a small container with alcohol and retain in case symptoms arise. Identifying the tick can aid in diagnosing any symptoms.

Beware that some repellants are toxic to pets.

How do you dispose the wash water if not down the drain?

Not really about tick prevention, but if you do find a tick on you and then you get sick within the next week or so, go immediately to Urgent Care or your doctor and tell them you were bit by a tick and insist on taking antibiotics right away because they will test you, but it takes about a day to get the results back. This happened to me, and it turns out I did have Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. My symptoms subsided after my first dose of antibiotics but my platelets dropped dangerously low. My doctor later told me that it rarely happens that people associate the tick bite with the illness and usually get very sick and have to be hospitalized before it's discovered and treatment starts. So thankful I learned what to do from my son's Boy Scout camping experiences.

Another tip to keep ticks at bay: tuck your pants legs inside the tops of your socks. It may look a bit nerdy, but it makes it less likely the the ticks will get inside your pants leg and onto your skin. Our ticks are prone to climb up skin, clothing, etc. before they bite, and they are more visible when outside your clothing than inside your clothing and more in contact with permethrin treatments on your clothing. Likewise, tuck in your shirts.

We live on a farm (plenty of deer, plenty of ticks) and send our work clothes to Insect Shield to be professionally treated, good for 70 washings (https://www.insectshield.com). Also, to safely remove a tick, Do NOT use tweezers!! Unfortunately many sites still carry that TERRIBLE advice! A much safer, MUCH more effective solution is using the Tick Twister (https://ticktwister.com) (also available at Walmart). Because the tick's mouthparts are barbed, it releases quickly and easily when twisted (much as you would remove a screw by unscrewing it -- not prying with a hammer). The problem with tweezers is you are much more likely to end up squeezing the pathogens out of the tick and into your bloodstream -- and frequently you pull the body off and the head (containing all those nasty pathogens) remains imbedded. In contrast, with the Tick Twister, we were able to safely remove a tick from the rim of one of our chicken's eye -- something we would never attempt with a tweezers. Having attended 8 medical conferences specific to tickborne-disease, let me dispel the myth that a tick has to be attached for hours for infection to occur -- in fact, infection CAN be transmitted immediately if the mouthparts of the tick are infected. It's just safer to assume that every tick is infected and get treated by a Lyme-literate doctor. Most providers receive little or inaccurate information about the complexities of tickborne-diseases, which are often hard to diagnose and treat, but must be taken very seriously and acted upon immediately.

My son is very picky about bug sprays and sensitive to their smells, and Earth Kind Unscented Mosquito Repellent (which is also effective for ticks) and contains picaridin has been a godsend. (I have
no affiliation with the company. I just buy it regularly!) https://www.earthkind.com/product/stay-away-mosquitoes/ It is EPA Registered according to the Safety Data Sheet. Could be worth adding to the list above for those who are more sensitive.

It is important to know that not "all mammals" react to permethrin in the same way. Permethrin insecticides are deadly to cats. Our cat was on a screen porch when insecticide was sprayed in the yard by the home owner. It nearly killed her.
Don't use insecticides if you can avoid it. Flea collars for dogs are also deadly for cats...a major cause of cancer in cats.

I re-apply permethrin every 6 weeks to work pants and shoes, hoping to avoid bites from ticks and chiggers. If you buy a gallon at a time it is around 24 cents per ounce. It seems to work, but I also spray socks, pant cuffs and shoes with DEET before going outside to work.

What about the products that have you saturate clothing to treat it--are these safe?