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 Post subject: Ticks and Permathrin
PostPosted: Mon Apr 29, 2019 11:04 am 
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We had a bit of a chat about ticks during this Sunday's ride. Basically we all agreed that ticks suck, the diseases they transmit can be really serious, and that tick problems appear to be getting worse.

There's a chemical out there called Permathrin which basically kills ticks on contact. You can either spray it onto your clothes or soak your clothes, and the stuff lasts for a good ~6-7 washes. More info here:
https://tickencounter.org/prevention/permethrin
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-sho ... -from-mums

I think this is going to be my tick-repellent strategy going forward:
- Spray my shoes with Permathrin
- Dedicate maybe 4-5 pairs of socks to MTB only. Make sure they are longish. Treat them with Permathrin
- Wear knee pads. I'm thinking about upgrading to 7iDp Project Knee Pads. Treat those with Permathrin as well
- Treat my bike shorts (I only have one pair) with Permathrin

I figure ticks are most likely going to get on my legs and crawl up from there, so this puts several insta-kill barriers in place. I could also treat my shirts with Permathrin but I tend to have lots of different shirts I use for both MTB and other activities, so that's probably not practical. Maybe I'll just treat my "sun sleeves" with Permathrin.

This is now in my shopping cart:
https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products- ... 171&sr=1-3

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 Post subject: Re: Ticks and Permathrin
PostPosted: Thu May 02, 2019 3:51 pm 
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I ride lesser traveled trails a lot so I tend to get a lot of ticks on me. I tried permethrin a few years ago. Even right after applying to clothing I still got lots of ticks on me - maybe the permethrin killed some but a lot seemed to be unaffected. So I wouldn't assume that it is the be-all end-all for tick prevention.

For me it is far better to just look down every so often during a ride and brush off any you see. Then do a thorough tick inspection after the ride. The only times I have had bites where the tick actually burrowed in were outside peak tick season when I wasn't expecting them, hadn't seen any, and didn't check for them. Then I'd find one burrowed in the next day. Once was Oregon in June on my left side, the other was in Santa Barbara at Thanksgiving, on my back between the shoulder blades.

Ticks like to climb uphill so keep clothing tucked in as much as possible. Jersey into shorts/pants. If you wear long pants, tuck them into socks. I've never seen one try to attach to a bare leg, they seem to want to climb up clothing to chest or back or tummy. I wear a chamois which may prevent them from attaching between knees and waist.


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 Post subject: Re: Ticks and Permathrin
PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2019 8:03 am 
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Also get a tick removal tool. Not sure what's the best, although I think the twister type is better than the key for dogs (because fur):
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=tick+removal ... b_ss_i_1_5

And DO NOT expose cats to Permethrin when you're spraying your clothes!

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 Post subject: Re: Ticks and Permathrin
PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2019 12:25 pm 
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I prefer vigilance to chemicals for ticks. I hope I don’t regret saying that later...
At least around here mosquitoes are usually a minor annoyance, and we don’t have chiggers as far as I know. I hate those tiny bastards.

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 Post subject: Re: Ticks and Permathrin
PostPosted: Fri May 03, 2019 6:42 pm 
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Ughh.. chiggers are the worst. I remember those little fuckers when I was a kid in the South.

Not too worried about ticks and Lyme disease.

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 Post subject: Re: Ticks and Permathrin
PostPosted: Sat May 04, 2019 11:27 am 
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avidtest wrote:
Ughh.. chiggers are the worst. I remember those little fuckers when I was a kid in the South.

Not too worried about ticks and Lyme disease.


I hear you, but ticks around here carry at least one other serious illness. Filthy little buggers.....

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 Post subject: Re: Ticks and Permathrin
PostPosted: Sat May 04, 2019 11:35 am 
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OldDogDan wrote:
I prefer vigilance to chemicals for ticks. I hope I don’t regret saying that later...
At least around here mosquitoes are usually a minor annoyance, and we don’t have chiggers as far as I know. I hate those tiny bastards.


Mosquitos are really the most effective vector for spreading infectious disease. Light, fast and maneuverable, the little buggers can be quite effective and lethal. Seems like a lot of birds around here die from West Nile which they contract from 'skeeters.

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