Homemade Permethrin Tick Spray Stinks

[Mint]

Well I tried making permethrin tick spray like some people online have suggested. Tried Martins 10% permethrin that was water based with out petroleum distillates like Gordons but it still stinks but just not as strong. Has anybody had any luck making their own?

[katman]

Use it all the time, after drying I can not smell it. If the deer smell it they will smell me.
Necessity for me in SC, ticks and red bugs are very common.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

I just use the 10% from TSC that has the petroleum distillates, and dilute per instructions on bottle with water. I spray to saturate pants and long sleeve shirt hanging on a line and let dry in the sun. Has a slight odor to me, but absolutely agree, if the deer can smell it they already smelled me. I retreat the clothes a time or two thru the summer and have not had any chiggers, and just a couple ticks over the last several years while using it.

R

[Mint]

Hi Guys,

I absolutely agree if the deer can smell the clothes they will smell me although the Gordons with petroleum distillates actually gave me a headache since it was so strong. The Martins was much better but still has an order. I was just wondering if I was doing something wrong since everyone is saying the Martins is scent free and to my nose it is not. I'm going to use the Gordons for my lawn but will stick with the Martins for now. Thanks for responding and your input.

[Ryan Rothhaar]

What concentration did you dilute the 10% down to?

[Ryan Rothhaar]

Should be 6-7 ounces of the 10% mixture diluted to a gallon for clothes spray.

R

[MCNSC]

I’ve been making and using it for years. Usually buy the permethrin at TS. Spray my clothes and let them hang outside to dry for a few days. I’ve never noticed any odor after they are dry.

[Mint]

I added 19oz of water to 1oz of the 10% permethrin which made me a solution that was .5% permethrin which is what Sawyers is.

[pdk25]

Get the quart bottle at TSC, then mix it with 3 gallons of water in a 5 gallon bucket.  Soak clothes for a day, then wring out and line dry.  I wring the mix back into the bucket and soak another load.  They will still have some odor, but that should be gone after 2 wash dry cycles.  Clothes will definitely be good for at least a year.

[Al Dente]

I have always fully soaked my clothes, then hung dry.  Afterwards, put them in my clothes bin with pine boughs and "dirt" scent wafers. 

I have never done the dilution though, only used Sawyers.

[JamesD]

I went scouting in August three or four years back. My lower legs became lunch for several hundred seed ticks on each. My upper body had a couple hundred Asian tree mite bites ( imagine chiggers on steroids. They eat white oak tree leaves and bite humans). I’ve been using this permethrin premix ever since between early April and late October. Not a tick, chigger, or oak tree bite in a a treated area since. Hope this helps.

[Bowguy67]

Guys I’m always amazed no one understands deer won’t run from every scent they aren’t familiar with. It’s ones associated w danger. Once dry permetherim has little to no smell. Air clothes out if need be. Put them in a bag of leaves, pine branches, etc, if thats something you want to do..  but remember playing the wind is deer hunting 101. Our breath prob smells more to a deer and is associated w danger more than that spray

[Jim Wright]

I use the Sawyers spray following the directions. It has no smell that I can detect and it works fine.

[Bowguy67]

The sawyers recommendation keeps coming up so I’ll just add. That’s super expensive. Kinda ridiculous if you ask me. The concentrate is way cheaper. Not even remotely close

[Jim Wright]

You can find a bottle of the Sawyer's Permethrin for around 15 bucks. I can treat 6 pairs of fly fishing/camo hunting pants and shirts with a good bit left over. I don't find it expensive at all but I'm sure you can save some by mixing your own.

[Bowguy67]

For a comparison. A bottle of sawyers most places is 20 but let’s use 15. It does about one deer hunt outfit.
The concentrate was 10 for the small bottle. You use about an ounce per gallon but mixture depends on what it’s used for.
That one $10 bottle is used on all deer clothes, turkey hunt clothes, mushroom picking clothes, 3D, fishing, chaps, used to treat decks from carpenter bees or used on beehives. I spray my dogs about weekly, there’s about 5-6 usually, the bottle lasts a few years. Add it up what would sawyers cost for that???
That one ounce would yield more and be cheaper than sawyers. Not even close comparison. Just be advised

[Jim Wright]

Today at any bass pro or cabelas you can buy a Sawyer's 24 ounce bottle for $14.99. Again, I can treat 6 pant/shirt pairs and have a good bit left over. To me that's not terribly expensive but again I do agree you can save some by mixing it yourself.

[Carpdaddy]

Well I did the same and got to agree with the first post. Put my treated clothes in a plastic bag after hanging out for a few days. Opened bag and thought whew! Stronger than expected. But had seven deer under me Saturday morning picking up acorns. I did have a few get downwind and raised their heads sniffing me but none got too alarmed by the smell. Those were on higher alert for a short time. Next time might be different.

[Stumpkiller]

I went scouting in August three or four years back. My lower legs became lunch for several hundred seed ticks on each. My upper body had a couple hundred Asian tree mite bites ( imagine chiggers on steroids. They eat white oak tree leaves and bite humans). I’ve been using this permethrin premix ever since between early April and late October. Not a tick, chigger, or oak tree bite in a a treated area since. Hope this helps.

That Sawyer's is what I use as well.  Ticks have become a huge problem hereabouts but I have never found one on me with clothing sprayed with this product.  I use it hunting as well as raking leaves and weed-trimming, rotary cutting or cutting firewood.

[Ashs Gulch]

Guys I’m always amazed no one understands deer won’t run from every scent they aren’t familiar with. It’s ones associated w danger. Once dry permetherim has little to no smell. Air clothes out if need be. Put them in a bag of leaves, pine branches, etc, if thats something you want to do..  but remember playing the wind is deer hunting 101. Our breath prob smells more to a deer and is associated w danger more than that spray

I agree, deer seem to be attracted to heavy machinery despite all of their petroleum scents. I know it's actually the turned dirt doing the attracting, but leaky, smelly tractors don't scare them off.