How often

Zach's Grandpa

Old Mossy Horns
Do you guys spray your clothes and gear? I spray about once a week or every time I wash my camo. I hate ticks as most people do and maybe I'm a little paranoid about them. Getting an ankle bite this week did not help at all, okay I am totally paranoid about ticks.
 

Moose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
I spray everything just prior to season. Vest, 2 pair of pants, 4 shirts, 4 pair of underwear, 4 pair of socks, 2 hats. I don't necessarily refesh after first wash but definitely after the second. I will touch up if I see ticks or feel I need to. I hate the dang things. If I had one bite me I use to save it in a small container on the off chance I got sick to have something to test. I don't do that anymore. I typically get only a few on me and rarely do they get a bite on me.
 

QuietButDeadly

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Once a year for me, right before turkey season. I lay my camo pants and shirts out and soak them good with the garden sprayer, flip them over and repeat so no spot get missed. Let them dry and good to go for several washings. It helps to have enough sets of clothes to rotate through so you are not washing them every other day. And I do not go in tall grass or weeds or in the woods without treated clothes.

I do not treat underwear and socks. I do treat leather boots and I have elastic drawstrings in all of my camo pants legs so I can cinch them tight on whatever boots I am wearing.

I am at a far greater risk from ticks when skinning coyotes in January or February than in the turkey woods in warm weather. Sometimes they are so bad on coyotes, I put the coyote in a heavy trash bag and give it a heavy does of bug killer, seal the bag and let it set a couple hours before skinning. A coyote is a moving oasis for a tick in cold weather and when the body temp of the coyote starts to drop, the ticks start crawling.
 
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QBD2

Old Mossy Horns
Before turkey season, again around May 1, and again before bow season. I do not spray socks, draws, or boots.

I spray my vest simply to eliminate ‘truck ticks’

I’ve had one tick bite me in the last 6-7 years. The number that have bit me while wearing treated clothes is zero.
 

Familyman

Twelve Pointer
One thorough soaking of all my camo clothes and vest just before turkey season has worked well for me for a long time. I usually spray/soak twice in late summer & fall for deer season. And I keep outdoor work/beat-around clothes sprayed up all summer. I don't set foot off the beaten path spring through fall without treated clothes. I can't risk it....a red meat allergy would kill me!
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I do spray all the lightweight stuff I'm going to wear prior to the season, including boot and socks, leafy suit, vest, pants and shirts. I don't spray underwear, if they make it over the boot, up the socks, up the pant leg and all the way to Mr. Johnson and the boys then they are too tough for permethrin to touch anyway.
I think it helps with the skeeters too, so I'll typically re-spray my mesh leafy suit a time or two during the season if I'm fortunate to get to go more than once or twice.
 

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
I don't,,,if/when ticks start bugging me I might,,, haven't had a tick issue in 59 years so not worrying with chemicals till needed

Army used to give us bottles of permitheron ,,,, stuff would melt the writing off the bottles,,,


little Off on ankles (for chiggers), hands and face (for mosquitos),,, and I'm good,,,
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
Do you guys spray your clothes and gear? I spray about once a week or every time I wash my camo. I hate ticks as most people do and maybe I'm a little paranoid about them. Getting an ankle bite this week did not help at all, okay I am totally paranoid about ticks.

I'm about the same as you.
 

Greg

Old Mossy Horns
1x before Spring season... then again before archery deer
Once at the beginning, then I will spray points of entry -- cuffs, collars, waistbands, the front of a button-down shirt, etc ... periodically.
 

wolfman

Old Mossy Horns
every 2 weeks during turkey season. if i'm heading into the woods during the summer i'll hit my boots and pants with it.
 

CutNRun

Ten Pointer
Contributor
Once before the season

^This^ I spray until the clothes are wet. When they dry stiff, I know I'm ready for anything those ticks, chiggers, and 'skeeters can throw at me.

Mix in a Thermacell and you've almost got a force field around you.

Jim
 

Winnie 70

Ten Pointer
Keep bottle on truck door....hit my boot,pants,seat every few times I go....maby twice a week.....have no problems with ticks or chiggers. Carry small bottle in pack for mosquitoes. etc.
 

pattersonj11

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
I keep a spray bottle mixed with permethrin. I used to do the garden sprayer soaking method.....but the spray bottle has been good as well. Usually leave it in the truck.
 

30/06

Twelve Pointer
Not as often as I should, pulled a tick off back of my leg last night. Think it was from meeting a builder after hunting though. Just threw on some untreated jeans. Sprayed boots and ankles w OFF but didn’t tuck in pants to boots
 

Hunterreed

Twelve Pointer
I get ticks just being in my yard,pull a couple dozen attached ticks off me every year. Lived all my life out in the country on a farm so it's normal to just let stuff eat on me,ticks,skeeters, fleas,wasps, bees, fire ants,those little bugs you can't see. Now if I go BlackBerry picking I'm putting on the deet because I could do without jiggers or chiggers whatever you call them but I can't expose myself to chemicals all day every day so I just let them eat. Believe it or not you do get used to it
 
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