Bug Net and Permethrin?

[rasbuyaka]

I have a GT skeeter beeter pro, and am going Cumberland Island in early April. I've been 2 years in a row in February, the second time was after recent rains, and no-see-ums and ticks were pretty intense. I expect it to be worse in April. Friends' accounts from May/June are that they blot out the sun. My outer wear will be sprayed with Permethrin, i have Skin So Soft for no-see-ums (anybody have any better suggestions? Deet doesn't deter the little blighters and i don't want it on my skin). These should be sufficient for bodily protection.

The real question at hand is: Is Permethrin safe to use to treat my bug net?
Because besides no-see-ums, the big thing down there is tree ticks. Hand to God, last year i was talking about how they sense your CO2 and drop down from trees, was pointing at my arm, and AND ONE LANDED ON MY ARM MID-SENTENCE. Smaller than a pinhead. You can hear them plinking off your tent at night, like tiny raindrops. This my first time hammock camping, and i'm worried about them climbing down my suspension in the night and being opportune when I exit in the am. Same with gathered no-see-ums and skeeters.

Has anyone treated their bug net with Permethrin? I have a UQP/UQ for the hammock itself, but under no circumstance are you supposed to use it on heavy-skin-contact clothing or gear. But contact-wise i think the bugnet might be ok. My main worry is whether or not i'm safe from fumes and short-term contact, even if the Permethrin has dried. Any experience on treating bug nets, or recommendations?

[rasbuyaka]

Also chiggers. Chiggers are the Devil.

[locknload]

I sprayed my Warbonnet bug net soon after receiving it. Everything I've read says it's the best gear safe option. Now, I'll let ya know how it works this Summer .

[Hammockmadness]

When I lived in S.E. Florida in the early '90's, I did quite a bit of camping in the Everglades and Big Cypress Swamp between Naples and Ft. Lauderdale. I would soak my hammock and no-seeum netting in a permethrin mixture and air dry it about twice a year. I believe I used about 2-3 oz of 10% permethrin to a gallon of water. The hammock I made then had a zippered net with a flat area on the top. In the morning it would be thick with dead mosquitoes. The only skin issue I had was with a long sleeve shirt that I treated and wore in steamy weather. I ended up with a rash where my pack straps contacted my shoulders. I saw it in the animal meds department at Tractor Supply the other day.

[WaffleBox]

I treat everything with permethrin. Hammock, bug net, and all of the clothes that I wear while hiking.

[12trysomething]

I treat everything with permethrin. Hammock, bug net, and all of the clothes that I wear while hiking.

Same here....

[olddog]

I use a Fronkey style bug net w/o the shock cord in the opening. At the beginning of our season I remove it from the hammock, place in a 1 gal. bucket and empty an entire spray bottle of the Sawyer permethrin over the bugnet. After a good soak I lift it out giving it a chance to drain back into the bucket and hang it to dry. The remainder of the liquid is returned to the spray bottle for use on socks, shirts, kilt, hat, bandana. Everything but my compression underwear, and so far I haven't had any critters get past them. I too have seen them land on the net and just fall off after a couple minutes. Been using this method for 3 years on nanoseeum and so far no problems with the fabric.

[Richard Tipton]

I would bathe in the stuff if I could! Everything I own is treated, except my underwear.

[FLRider]

Permethrin is safe for skin contact, though mucous membrane contact might be another story. Therefore, I treat everything--including clothing--except for the portions of my underwear that come into contact with mucous membranes (instead, I treat the cuffs and waistband, the primary entry points for bugs).

So, yes, you can definitely treat your net.

If you want something for no-see-ums, try 20% Picaridin for your skin. It works better than DEET for ticks, approximately the same for mosquitoes, better for flies and no-see-ums, but not as well for chiggers (I tend to get eaten by chiggers in one trip out of three in Ocala National Forest). Note that it only lasts about 80% of the time between applications as high-test DEET (40%+ concentration), so reapplication is necessary over a longer day. WallyWorld and Sports Authority carry it in my town; finding it online shouldn't be hard, either.

Hope it helps!

[Dead Man]

I treat the hammock and net and all my clothing with Permethrin. I use the Picaradin on my skin. I damaged some good equipment with Deet once....once. In the four or five seasons I've used the dip method, I've gotten exactly one tick on me and one on my son. Both were in the beginning of learning the process. Mine was from me not applying the Picaradin prior to getting to camp.

I use a concentrate that I dilute and dip clothing in, then the remaining goes into a sprayer for the hammock, etc.