Ticks and MSM

[2Blade]

Ron my buddy is in the Army and they told him to eat garlic to keep ticks away as well.

[iohkus]

It'll keep "unwanted friends" away as well!  

[Sam McMichael]

I am a true believer in Permanone. It works very well. Just don't spray it directly on your skin, or it can cause great irritation. I try to spray my clothes inside and out the night before I hunt. It dries but remains effective.

Also, I have heard that taking very large doses of vitamin B1 will repel mosquitoes.

Does the Listerine treatment leave an odor that repels deer?

I think the garlic route might also repel people.

[ChuckC]

Sage,  DMSO is a solvent.  Lots of stuff go into it.  It absorbs well right thru your skin.  So, when you smear it on your skin, whatever else is in it is also going in. .   You are not likely to find any medical or USP grade equivalent DMSO available.

Just saying.
ChuckC

[gringol]

x2 for garlic.  It'll keep just about everythin off of you, including your wife.   :D

[two4hooking]

ChuckC has it right.   DMSO (Dimethyl Sulfoxide) will "carry" anything through your skin.  It was rubbed on horses knees to carry asprin directly to the joint.  Be careful with that stuff.

[Greg Clark]

I have spent 15 years working as a soil scientist and spent most of those days in the woods during all times of the year.  Most of this time was spent in the southeastern states where ticks are PLENTIFUL!

The key is to keep the ticks from getting under your clothes.  I use a pair of low cut rocky mountain gators to seal off my pant legs.  These are sprayed with Permanone regularly.  I do not spray permanone on any other item of clothing because with the summer temps down south, I sweat thru everything (shirt and pants) in a day an can't help but believe some of the permanone would be absorbed by my skin.

Keep shirt tucked into pants.

I spray Deet on pants legs and a little on shoulders for ticks I may pick up from overhanging brush plus to deter skeeters.

If they can't find a way to your skin, the ticks will keep crawling up and you feel them when they hit your neck and they are easily picked off and killed.  This system has worked great for me for many years and is also how I handle things while hunting.

Just my 2 cents based on many days spent in tick country.

[Greg Clark]

The permanone sprayed gaitors also save a lot of grief from chiggers.

[ron w]

The down side of garlic repelling people would be......what???  

[lpcjon2]

Garlic is the primary base component in almost all deer and animal repellents for garden and such. I would not suggest using it on your clothes during any hunting season.JMHO

[ron w]

You eat it,     not wear it!!

[lpcjon2]

I wouldnt do that either during hunting season.

[Jorja Boy]

I have read that one of the B vitamins is an effective insect repellent when ingested. If I'm not mistaken, alcohol consumption depletes your body's B vitamins so lay off the beer if the mosquitoes are driving you crazy. Pyrethrin is a strong miticide (kills ticks and chiggers). I believe it is the one that is derived from chrysanthemums. You could try planting mums next to your blind. Not sure how effective that would be though. It would be a nice bonus if deer like to eat mums, but I don't know. I once ate two quail egg sized cloves of raw garlic. I thought it would repel the old lady from me. It had the opposite affect. Repelled me away from her and onto the sofa for a couple nights.

[njloco]

[njloco]

Don't remember where I read or heard it, but crawling insects will not cross a line of mint plants. Mint also repels black flies and mosquitoes, I can vouch for that. If you have a mint plant just take some of the leaves and rub them where you don't want the insects, for the flying kind just take a few leaves and chew on them, worked great for everyone up in Maine at a friends house in warmer months.

Another great product for ticks and chiggers, is Badger Anti-Bug spray, it's all organic and perfectly safe for kids and adults sprayed right on the clothes and skin. I have used it for a couple of years now and I have not gotten one stinken chigger bit or tick bite. Can't use it for dear though as it does have an odor.

[SELFBOW19953]

Back in the 50's and 60's my grandfather dusted his cuffs-pants and shirts-with powdered sulfur, then tucked his pant legs in his socks to keep the ticks and chiggers off.

[iohkus]

Originally posted by ron w:
The down side of garlic repelling people would be......what???      

Your breath.