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by Swissblad on Sat Jun 01, 2019 10:33 pm
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Hi folks

Went out this week, looking for orchids - came back with no images - but with 2 of these vermin nestled firmly in my skin.
As we live in an area where lyme disease (borreliosis - of which I had a bout last year) and tick borne encephalitis is endemic - this is no fun.
Query - how do other photographers deal with this - apart from staying out of the forest/meadows?
Tried various sprays etc.

Thanks for any input.

SB
 

by signgrap on Sun Jun 02, 2019 8:56 am
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I wear clothes treated with Permethrin
Permethrin can be sprayed on clothes or the clothes can be dipped in it. In either case the clothes need to be thoroughly dry before wearing.  Make sure to thoroughly read the instructions. Permethrin lasts about 6 weeks/6 washings per treatment.  I also use Picaridin Insect Repellent.  I dislike using Deet, yes it is very effective BUT the side effects are just to risky for regular use IMO.   Wear long pants tucked into your boots or socks and long sleeved shirts.   Wear light colored clothes so you can easily see ticks when they are on your clothes You also have to carefully check yourself for ticks after being in the field followed by a shower within 2 hours of returning if possible.   Tick infestation is getting worse as the climate warms.
 
Dick Ludwig
 

by photoman4343 on Sun Jun 02, 2019 9:43 am
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Dick,s advice is spot on. In addition you can buy pants that have protective sleeve or band built into the inside of the cuff area that prevents the ticks from crawling up your legs and biting you on the inside of your thighs. These pants might be called hunter,s pants. I had a pair that I got at LL Bean. If you cannot find a pair to buy, most local alteration shops can add the sleeve to your outdoor pants. Some also wear very high hiking socks treated as described and tuck their pants into the socks.
Joe Smith
 

by pablo on Sun Jun 02, 2019 11:52 am
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signgrap wrote:I wear clothes treated with Permethrin
Permethrin can be sprayed on clothes or the clothes can be dipped in it. In either case the clothes need to be thoroughly dry before wearing.  Make sure to thoroughly read the instructions. Permethrin lasts about 6 weeks/6 washings per treatment.  I also use Picaridin Insect Repellent.  I dislike using Deet, yes it is very effective BUT the side effects are just to risky for regular use IMO.   Wear long pants tucked into your boots or socks and long sleeved shirts.   Wear light colored clothes so you can easily see ticks when they are on your clothes You also have to carefully check yourself for ticks after being in the field followed by a shower within 2 hours of returning if possible.   Tick infestation is getting worse as the climate warms.
 

Been using Permethrin for about 10 years with excellent results.  It is extremely important to air dry the clothes after laundering.  Also, wash in cold water.

If you put the clothes in the dryer, the heat will destroy the Permethrin.
 

by Richard B. on Sun Jun 02, 2019 5:38 pm
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I bought permethrin treated repellent clothes from LLBean. Supposedly good through sixty washings if I recall correctly. Shirts, pants, and socks. Plus they really are not bad looking, just like any other outdoor wear. In addition I spray a broad brim hat with Permethrin and wear that. And tuck my treated pants into the treated socks. I disrobe in the basement when done, leave the clothes there and head upstairs to shower. But I live alone, YMMV !
 

by Karl Egressy on Sun Jun 02, 2019 6:06 pm
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I have special  tick repellent treated sucks ordered on Amazon.
They came from Denmark. They go up to the knees.
I also have a dedicated shirt and a pair of pants treated with permethrin (soaked and then dried ) tick repellent liquid.
So far they worked.
 

by bradmangas on Sun Jun 02, 2019 6:47 pm
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I have done the Permethrin thing as well. Each spring I would pick a few sets of cloths (shirts, pants, socks, undergarments) mix up my Permethrin solution (I always bought it in bulk and begin soaking cloths. I would then have to make sure I put these cloths on if I was going to be in the woodlands or places that could have ticks. I found that to be a real big pain in the butt.

Luckily my wife belongs to a group of female outdoor enthusists. And through her group became acquainted with a person who makes what is called "Dirty Water". It is an all natural insect and tick repellant. I have put this stuff to the test for the last 3 years. Springtimes typically have me deep in the woodlands in search of woodland wilflowers. Ticks are incredibly prevelant. In the days before the Permethrin clothing thing I could end up with anywhere from a half a dozen to a dozen ticks on me, (most attached) in an hour or so in the woodlands. Permethrin along with good old Deep Woods Off put a stop to the ticks. I could spend a better part of a day in the woods and not have a single tick.

I hated doing the Permethrin thing and I did not like using the noxious Deet products. So I decided to give the "Dirty Water" a try. I typically spray my bare body with it and then get dressed. For the past three years using only "Dirty Water" I have not had a single tick on my skin. I have seen a could on my cloths that I remove but never has one attached itself to me.

If you want to try something that is all natural and in my opinion works great you might consider this product. It is made by a lady who also makes things like natural soaps. 

The ingredients are:
Herbal Distilled Water, Witch Hazel, Aloe Vera, Isopropyl, Grape-Seed Oil
Pure Essential Oils:(Rose Geranium, Citronella, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass,
Sweet Orange)

Not only does it work, it actually smells good. Here is her website, look for it under bug repellent. https://carolynsnaturalsoap.com/
 

by Swissblad on Sun Jun 02, 2019 10:13 pm
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Thanks for the numerous comments folks - most helpful - and much appreciated.
 

by Baywing on Mon Jun 03, 2019 8:03 am
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I was out this past Saturday and removed more of them in the first 20 minutes than I have in the last 3 years. This in a place where I have never had any before. I always wear light colors, tuck the pants into the socks and check every 5-10 minutes in the field and thoroughly when I get home. Can't use DEET, makes me ill. The Dirty Water looks interesting, will have to try it.
Photos at: http://www.pbase.com/baywing
 

by neverspook on Wed Jun 05, 2019 2:50 am
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If you have cats, permethrin is toxic to them so be careful. Various essential oils are also toxic to cats so best to be cautious with the natural anti-tick potions also.

Roberta Olenick
www.neverspook.com
Vancouver, BC
 

by Kari Post on Thu Aug 01, 2019 3:17 pm
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Permethrin is also highly toxic to aquatic life, so I would avoid it if you are in areas where you are crossing streams or wading in water at all.

I'm not a huge fan of repellents and have not experienced much success with them. DEET in strong concentrations makes me feel ill, plus it is corrosive and can damage camera gear and plastic based safety gear like climbing harnesses, bike helmets, etc so I don't use it at all. I've tried a variety of natural repellents and find they usually are usually very oily and not typically effective across a broad range of parasitic bugs (some work against mosquitoes but not black flies, etc). Picardin, which can be found in some family friendly and DEET-free bug sprays, seems to be adequately effective at repelling bugs, doesn't have a super strong smell or irritate sensitive skin, and in my research doesn't have as many scary qualities as other chemicals, so it is my preferred chemical repellent when I use one. I participate in and instruct a variety of different outdoor activities where safety equipment is essential, and usually offer up Picardin-based repellent when bugs are a nuisance and it has been effective for students with no adverse side effects.

For ticks, avoiding edge areas and long grass as much as possible is key. I recommend wearing smooth textured clothing (materials like jeans and wool socks are really easy for ticks to grab onto but nylon/synthetic hiking pants are much less so) and doing a shower, tick check, and clothing change as soon as you are done exploring outdoors. Ticks generally need a bit of time to bite and transmit disease so if you are being thorough about tick checks you can usually catch them before they've fully embedded. It does help to have a trusted partner help check you so you don't miss any in hidden places. Ticks like most, dark areas so I most often find them in armpits, pubic area, and the scalp.

Roberta's point about toxicity is important as well. I usually hear about essential oil toxicity and cats more than any other pet, but if you have non-humans in your house do your research because what is safe for us may not be for your dog, cat, bunny, etc.
Kari Post, former NSN Editor 2009-2013
Check out my Website and Instagram
 

by OntPhoto on Sat Aug 03, 2019 5:56 pm
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Awareness and education on Lyme disease has come a long way from when I knew someone local who had been infected.  Back then doctors were not aware and Lyme disease symptoms were often misdiagnosed just about all the time.  This guy knew more than the doctors at the time by doing research online. I am surprised by how much this has changed and just about every healthcare professional has heard about it today.  A couple of high-profile cases in the news likely helped to spread awareness.  But more education and awareness is needed.  A local case affecting a young child had been misdiagnosed. Mom thought it was a mosquito bite at first.  The boy had multiple red rings instead of the typical bullseye rash.
Misdiagnosis of Lyme disease

So far, I  have been very fortunate to escape ticks.  At this one location where many of us had spent a few weeks photographing a family of barred owls, a number of people tell me they had found ticks on them even when well covered up, just walking around in the wooded area.  I do keep a Tick Key handy just in case.  Tick Key  But instinctively, you tend to just grasp at it and pluck it off.  
 

by yetiman on Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:11 pm
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People used to joke about my 'photography outfit' till I explained and showed them Permethrin. I also tend to wear Chota Mukluks to thwart insects and make going into knee deep water a simple matter.

I also treated some tight fitting very light weight gloves and two very light weight headbands, one I wear over my head, another covers from my eyes down to my shoulders. Several of our neighbors have asked for these and been given them as gifts from us now. I work third shift and often times bicycle to work at night and wear them for that also.

I was stopped by the police a couple weeks ago at 5:30 am while standing on a breakwater with a 6D and 100-400 IS II on a large tripod because I looked "suspicious" with my face and head covered. The mosquitos started attacking the cop right after he opened his window, and when He asked why I was covering my face I was like ""DUUUUUUHHHHH!""

head bands https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078PHBW3Y/

Sawyers Permethrin https://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Products-SP657-Permethrin-Repellent/dp/B001ANQVYU
-Chuck Terry-
 

by E.J. Peiker on Tue Aug 20, 2019 7:11 am
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Fixed the links in the post above to remove about 75% of it and still take you directly to the product without all of the embedded Google and Amazon search and formatting tags in the URL.
 

by yetiman on Tue Aug 20, 2019 7:46 pm
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Thank You, sorry about that.
-Chuck Terry-
 

by Charlie Woodrich on Thu Aug 22, 2019 4:43 pm
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Outdoor Research products if you don't want to mess with treating the clothing yourself.  Tick hat; tick shirt; tick pants; tick socks: tick gators.
 

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