Tick repellent- clothing treatment?

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I didn’t know which forum to put this so apologies if it’s in the wrong place.

I’ve been worried about ticks for quite a while. I’ve recently purchased some gaiters, partly to restrict ticks getting to my legs but also for keeping the bottom of the trousers cleaner. I’d like to treat the gaiters in some kind of tick repellent as an extra protective measure so I’m looking for recommendations that people have tried and feel work.
 
Tabard spray is best to keep ticks away IME.

Here's a link for Amazon, but have a search around and you may find it cheaper:

Thanks. It looks like they do a version designed to be sprayed onto fabric that with last a few months unless washed 4 times.

 
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Tick Bourne diseases are pretty nasty, but repellents tend either not to work or be pretty strong insecticides.My preference is vigilance and good removal skills
 
I lived in South Africa for a while and everyone used Tabard when out in the boonies - it works really well.
 
I’d like to treat the gaiters in some kind of tick repellent as an extra protective measure so I’m looking for recommendations that people have tried and feel work.

Earlier this year I started to pick up more ticks than usual in my local woods and followed the advice here:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h96KUEexyoU&t=60s


I only sprayed my trousers, (and bought some anti-tick socks) which seems to have worked, but it's of course difficult to tell.

The socks were Comodo Merino anti-tick hunting shooting socks bought from https://www.jemsox.co.uk/ (web site seems down), which are very comfortable but far too thin to considered suitable for boots/wellingtons. They call them medium weight.
 
Tick Bourne diseases are pretty nasty, but repellents tend either not to work or be pretty strong insecticides.My preference is vigilance and good removal skills

You can get tick hooks (for removing them) from outdoor shops like Blacks, Mountain Warehouse, etc.
I’ve got a couple of tick removing tools (I carry one in the first aid pouch when walking and another in the camera bag). Knowing how to remove and having the proper tool is a good idea. I’d like to prevent ticks getting to the skin as much as possible hence getting a pair of gaiters to add an extra easily removable layer.
I’m not a fan of using insecticides as they are pretty indiscriminate and aren’t great for the environment in general. Ticks and Lyme disease is one of those things it’s better to try to prevent and maybe using chemical repellent isn’t the best of ideas. If I do use it it will be used sparely on just gaiters as covering every piece of clothing would be a bit over the top.
 
Earlier this year I started to pick up more ticks than usual in my local woods and followed the advice here:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h96KUEexyoU&t=60s


I only sprayed my trousers, (and bought some anti-tick socks) which seems to have worked, but it's of course difficult to tell.

The socks were Comodo Merino anti-tick hunting shooting socks bought from https://www.jemsox.co.uk/ (web site seems down), which are very comfortable but far too thin to considered suitable for boots/wellingtons. They call them medium weight.
A friend has recommended the lifesystem stuff. We aren’t sure what the longevity is supposed to be as like the video he seems to do it once a season. My friend says the same that he hasn’t had one since he’s been using it.
 
A friend has recommended the lifesystem stuff. We aren’t sure what the longevity is supposed to be as like the video he seems to do it once a season. My friend says the same that he hasn’t had one since he’s been using it.
I suspect it will depend on how often you wash things, and the instructions are a bit confusing the bottle says not to "retreat" the clothes within 2 weeks, and the web site says the treatment will "last" up to two weeks.

My plan was to try and make it last a season, and retreat if I started to pick ticks up again.
 
I suspect it will depend on how often you wash things, and the instructions are a bit confusing the bottle says not to "retreat" the clothes within 2 weeks, and the web site says the treatment will "last" up to two weeks.

My plan was to try and make it last a season, and retreat if I started to pick ticks up again.
It’s very confusing with all of these repellents. They all state different longevities. Some say weeks others say months. I don’t think I’d like to apply the treatment every months. That seems a bit excessive but I guess it depends on how much you wear the clothes.

My friend tries to do the same as you. Treat it once and try to last a whole year without treating again.
 
It’s very confusing with all of these repellents. They all state different longevities.

I suspect, they will be reluctant to clearly state a time period as it will depend on how well the repellent has been applied, how often the clothing is washed, how its washed, what the material it is etc, etc.

The pre-treated insect repellent buff, and the tick repellent socks I have gave a "number of washes" life time and they come with washing instructions. Nothing special about the washing instructions, and I think the socks said good for 40 washes. I can't find the information for either the socks or the buff at the moment :-(
 
I’ve got a couple of tick removing tools (I carry one in the first aid pouch when walking and another in the camera bag). Knowing how to remove and having the proper tool is a good idea.

I couldn't agree more. As well as the hooks I find a slit cut in an (expired) credit card is a good eat of removing and I can get smaller ticks that way
 
I regularly played outdoors in hay fields and farmland in Cheshire as a kid. As young teenager, every other weekend and each school holiday I was out and about in the Welsh countryside, mostly along the upper reaches of the river Clwyd (fishing and generally enjoying the countryside and farmland) . For the last 25 years my job has involved regularly walking about outdoors on farmland, wasteland, etc. and to this day (touch wood!) I've never found a sheep tick feeding on me!

In recent years, given the Lyme's disease issue (and the associated risk assessment process) I've wondered why... and the most likely explanation I can think of is that, most of the time, I've worn tall wellington boots, with my trouser legs tucked into my socks inside them. Wearing wellies so often, and for hours on end, led me to buy comfortable, good quality, natural rubber boots, which tend to be tailored to fit the leg reasonably well and not have big gaps between the leg and shaft into which all sorts of invertebrates could fall when walking through long vegetation. I also suspect sheep/deer ticks might find it hard to impossible to crawl up the smooth shafts of natural rubber wellington boots, plus trouser legs tucked into socks would prevent access to skin if any did make it over the top!

If my thinking is right, I wouldn't rate my chances in a pair of textured cloth type neoprene wellies, I imagine the ticks could get a gip and cling onto those, plus I've never been a fan of that type of boot due to the semi-absorbent nature of the outer fabric and the need for me to disinfect my footwear between visiting different sites (biosecurity). So maybe a pair of tall, comfortable, well fitting, natural rubber wellington boots is the way to go; with shorts, ankle socks and hiking boots being the tick's best friend? Also, perhaps, don't sit down or lie down in long grass, bracken, etc. and keep your long trousers tucked into your socks.
 
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Tick Bourne diseases are pretty nasty, but repellents tend either not to work or be pretty strong insecticides.My preference is vigilance and good removal skills


Agree and along with, as discussed elsewhere in this thread, any treatment with repellent will wear off.

Although Lyme Disease is potentially very serious and the number of people who contract it is increasing, I wonder if this is due to more people getting out into tick areas.

Perhaps I have been very lucky but even after many years of removing ticks I have not had any adverse effects.

Dave
 
I hike every year in the Schwarzwald, mainly through damp gorges which has good opportunities for catching TBE. Prior to each trip, I dose my trousers, socks and underpants with Permethrin. Before each walk, I use Deet on my legs. On return from a walk. I make a thorough examination and have found no ticks so far
 
I dose my trousers, socks and underpants with Permethrin.

if you keep cats be really careful doing this. Cat are more sensitive to permethrin then most mammals. Vets wont use it on any of your pets if you have cats in the household
 
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if you keep cats be really careful doing this. Cat are more sensitive to permethrin then most mammals. Vets wont use it on any of your pets if you have cats in the household
Thanks for the heads up I didn’t know that we have 4 cats and I’ve been looking into a spray for clothes
I go to Whixall moss a peat bog and even get bitten through heavy trousers
 
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