Bug spray

[mzombek]

Guys,
I stumbled across something today while shooting 3D.
I ran out of my bug spray, 89deg and 90 percent humidity. I stopped and picked some up.
After spraying myself down and wiping my hands off, my fingers started to stick to my arrows. I sprayed one of my old arrows and found that the bug spray had dissolved the water base polycrilic from Minwax .
The bug spray that I bought was Coleman brand 100 percent Deet.
Has anyone else had this problem?

[Hummer3T]

I work in the bush and it will dissolve pens, steering wheels, hard hats, etc.

[False Cast]

Deet will dissolve a lot of synthetics including plastics and the like. It will destroy fly line, I know that for a fact. I wouldn't want it anywhere near my bowstrings.

[northener]

yup  deet will eat almost anything,----- makes you wonder.

[nineworlds9]

You can use DEET to loosen rusted/corroded bolts

[nineworlds9]

It will cause the finish on your bow to bubble, don't ask me how I know.

[KSdan]

Ruined the finish on a gun stock AND damaged the metal on the barrel.  Made me sick.  Can fix the stock- not the metal.

[Robertfishes]

I found out DEET would melt bow finishes and paint back in the mid 1980's. I kept using it and was more careful around my stuff after that. About 1990 I found peritherin based sprays worked well for clothing and just used the DEET on back of neck as needed. Now days During hunting season, no DEET. I have been using Thermocells for the last 10 years, I don't hunt without one. For 3D shoots I use the low strength DEET sprays that dry quickly, I just spray ankles and legs and peretherin spray on all clothes and shoes. I havn't found a redbug on me in many years..but a tick or two gets though every year.

[Scott357]

Has anyone tried picaridin? I heard that it was supposed to be gear safe and even read a few blurbs that claimed it was more effective than DEET in some cases. I also read that it doesn't leave you feeling greasy like DEET which is one of my main complaints about bug spray. I bought a bottle of Cutter with 15% Picaridin bout I haven't tried it out yet.

[nineworlds9]

There's also geraniol.  There's one I like called 'Herbal Armor'

[Bear Heart]

I hate getting deet on my lips and feeling them go numb

[LAMADMAN]

Don't spray it on your watch either.

[False Cast]

I use Repel Sportsman "Gear Smart" which is 20% Pacaridin. It's specifically marketed as a DEET alternative that wont melt your gear. It worked for me and is certainly better than nothing but I haven't found anything that compares to the effectiveness of DEET. I use DEET now but I'm extra careful about what I touch and I make sure to wash my palms after application.

[Doc Nock]

We used Muskol (100% deet)from CN years back guiding fly fishing in MT... pointy-butt flies that bite thought it was salad dressing.

As said, dissolved fly lines, latex waders, finishes, and personally, I can no longer put it anywhere on my skin or break out in a rash...using 100% all those many months in the hot and sweating did a job on me.

I use permethran sprays now exclusively--on clothes only, of course, and wear very light weight long sleeve shirts

[rraming]

Originally posted by Scott357:
Has anyone tried picaridin? I heard that it was supposed to be gear safe and even read a few blurbs that claimed it was more effective than DEET in some cases. I also read that it doesn't leave you feeling greasy like DEET which is one of my main complaints about bug spray. I bought a bottle of Cutter with 15% Picaridin bout I haven't tried it out yet.

I tried it - I read about it on someone's website - someone had a video about what they put in there pocket quiver (Art Vincent maybe). It was fairly expensive for bug spray, harder to find but was not sticky, not sure if it worked as well as deet either. It smelled better. I did not spray my bow with it - ha! I don't use my hands with bug spray and don't have the issue the rest of you seen to have. I don't spray my hands either.

[bruinman]

Learned the hard way on Bear Quest this year. I was using 40% deet. Messed up the finish and the leather grip on my bow. After i figured that out, I just used the thermocell and it worked well enough on its own. No more bug spray for me. Well maybe just around the ankles, LOL.

[njloco]

Try Badger's bug spray and never have to look back.

[RobinHood1389]

Deet just works ask well though. I hate the greasy feeling so I bought that off backwoods DRY. It dies suddenly and doesn't leave your feeling like greaser!

[jhg]

Try Bite Blocker. Its all natural, if you want to go in that direction and I can vouch for effectiveness. There is an odor though, so sniff before you buy. I don't mind tjhe smell its all good, but someone might.

BTW, in a test of Bite Blocker vs Badgers Bite Blocker was more effective. Not scientific, but the girlfriend was reaching for my bottle of BB halfway through the day even though she had her own can of Badgers...

[Sam McMichael]

I use permethrins on my clothes for tick control - DEET just does not cut it. For mosquitoes and gnats I use non DEET repellants on my face, necks and hands to avoid damage to finished surfaces.