[pct-l] Insects and methods

[William Canavan]

Hi Tom,
Even in the worst mosquito country I use DEET on just the back of my hands
and my face.  Everything else is covered by clothing of some kind so stream
crossings aren't an issue of contamination.  On days I use DEET I wash it
off before sleeping (usually while inside my tent) to keep it off my nylon
and plastic things.

I do use Permethrin on my clothes. It is an insecticide not a repellent.
Ticks and mosquitoes that try to bite through it die.  Yeah!  When sprayed
on material it is supposed to bind to the cloth as it dries.  It binds to
natural fibers better than synthetic fibers so I suppose some could come
off in a stream crossing but the amount would be measured in molecules.

My point here is that I think it is possible to use these products without
causing or contributing to an environmental disaster.  I hope I'm right but
I really don't know.

Little Brown