Wintersun wrote:
I treat my clothes with a permethrin solution that I buy in bulk and dilute myself. Costs about 5 cents to treat a shirt and have it last through 6 washings with 0.5% solution. With 2% solution it will last for 50 washings but that is overkill.
With clothing covered I use picaridin on my exposed skin for mosquitoes and other critters. It is as effective as DEET if you use a 15-20 percent solution. Unlike DEET it does not affect plastics or synthetic clothing.
For chiggers and noseeums I have found Avon's Skin So Soft to be great. I mix it 50-50 with picaridin if in an area where these bitters are present.
I have found that the combination of treated clothing and the repellant on my skin to be 100% effective.
Wintersun, Would you tell me more about:1. How to treat the clothes, and 2. How to make the solution using the Picaridin? I would love to try that. Could you cover where to buy, how to apply, how to store, etc? Any potential damage or risk to using these two substances?
Thanks in advance!