[pct-l] Permethrin (was: Oregon)

[Sir Mixalot]

Here's permethrin concentrate that doesn't reek of petroleum products like
other concentrates.
http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page275.html

REI sells a diluted spray bottle of permethrin for smaller batches.

On Sun, Jan 27, 2013 at 8:14 AM, Jim Marco <jdm27 at cornell.edu> wrote:

> Permethrin and DEET are different. One is a pretty good insecticide. The
> other is a pretty good repellant. They have different uses, and,
> understanding how they differ and their uses lets you use both to the
> maximum benefit.
>
> Permethrin is a bug killer. It is also deadly to a few mammals (cats) and
> most amphibians. It acts as a dye in/on clothing. Generally, these are
> loose bonds that can be broken with other dyes. Other dyes, such as loud,
> heavily dyed colors on nylon, do not let Permethrin bond well...at least at
> the concentration wanted for killing bugs. It works quickly by irritating,
> then overloading the bugs nerves. Soo, it can also act as a repellant,
> because bugs are rapidly poisoned. People are immune to it, it does not
> generally pass through your skin. But, it can cause irritation (a rash) in
> rare cases. It is considered safe to use, though some states outlaw it
> because of it's effect on fish and other aquatic wildlife. POLY cloths do
> not dye well. Anything that does not dye well does not pick up Permethrin
> well. Some other binder must be used. A good example is Poly long johns.
> Working with it is sort of like any other insecticide. Gloved hands are
> highly recommended. Generally, a 1% co
>  ncentration is sufficient to treat clothing. Since it will only attach to
> dye sites, the solution will be depleted, soo, you need to add more fore
> each piece you add. I usually use a 5 or 10% mux diluted to about .5% in a
> 5 gallon bucket. I dump in my cloths and let them sit for about 5 minutes,
> then wring them out and hang them to dry. After drying thoroughly, I rinse
> them out in a 5 gallon bucket, then, wash normally in the washer. NONE of
> the water from treatment is poured out. Or, poured down the drain or on the
> ground. Sewage Treatment plants DO NOT destroy the Permethrin. It IS
> destroyed by UV, though. Pouring a quart at a time on your paved driveway
> will let the sun's UV deactivate it. Again, DO NOT pour it into a storm
> drain, house drain, etc... It works excellently against ticks. Well against
> gnats, mosquitoes and blackflys. Remember, it is deadly to cats. I do not
> know about birds... Cotton, nylon, wool, and perhaps other cloths are your
> best bet.
>
> DEET is a repellant. It is not an insecticide, well, slightly. It is oily,
> but washes out easily. Otherwise, it stays for a few months. It dissipates
> very slowly. It also attacks some plastics. The plastic case on a Steripen
> is one type as was the case on a cheap camera. It does not attack nylon or
> poly. So, your tent and rain gear should be safe. It generally depends on
> how hungry the critters are...a cloud of starving mosquitoes will NOT be
> stopped by DEET alone. But you might stop 80% of them from biting. In lower
> numbers, it usually works well on most bugs.
>
> I have been in the middle of blackfly/Mosquito season in the ADK's and
> only got 2 bites in a week using a tarp. Soo, using both together is very
> effective. However, Deerflies don't seem to be bothered by chemicals. Not
> sure why. Bee's are not bothered by the chemicals, either. Permethrin will
> kill them, but not before they bite/sting.
>
>         My thoughts only . . .
>                 jdm
>
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