Mosquitoes inside the bug net.

[ktitan]

I zipped a mosquito up with me Sunday night. The worst part is hearing a mosquito buzz and not being able to find it. I turn the light on and it vanishes, turn it off and it starts harassing me. I go through a bunch of of comical looking gyrations trying to get it. After 10 or fifteen minutes I dispatch the critter and then have to clean my own blood from my hand. Blood I did not donate willingly. Finally I will be able to drift off into hammock sleeping bliss, I turn off the light and get comfortable. Then I hear it. Buzz, buzz, buzz. My mosquito's sister is here to take her revenge.

[WaffleBox]

That's one of the reasons I prefer Fronkey-style bugnets. Significantly less likely that any mosquitos get in while you are getting in.

[OneClick]

Just about annoying as a person with a wet, gurgling snoring sound. Or loud muffled music in the distance where you just can't quite recognize the song. I hate mosquitoes. I went to a local creek last weekend to practice fly fishing; they completely took me out!

[SilvrSurfr]

That's one of the reasons I prefer Fronkey-style bugnets. Significantly less likely that any mosquitos get in while you are getting in.

+1 for Fronkey bugnets. I've often had mosquitoes get in my hammock with zippered bugnets but it has never happened with a Fronkey bugnet. I don't think skeeters have the common sense to enter from the bottom.

[Caminante]

My hammock and bug net are treated w/permethrin. The odds that the odd mosquito manages to land on me without touching something deadly first are pretty slim.

[MeAndMyBeans]

My hammock and bug net are treated w/permethrin. The odds that the odd mosquito manages to land on me without touching something deadly first are pretty slim.

Is permethrin at all toxic to us mammals?

[WaffleBox]

Is permethrin at all toxic to us mammals?

Depends on the mammal. It would be deadly to the one in your profile picture if it came in contact with the cat's skin while wet. But it's not toxic for humans, and it's fine for cats once it has dried on the fabric to which it is applied.

[SilvrSurfr]

Is permethrin at all toxic to us mammals?

Pour permethrin in a river and you'll kill all the fish. And cats. Dogs and humans do just fine with permethrin.

[Caminante]

Is permethrin at all toxic to us mammals?

You shouldn't handle it in its liquid form, but it is non-toxic to humans once dry. Having said that, it does show up in lice/scabies treatments, so who knows. I wear gloves while applying and don't think about it after it's dry. As others have mentioned, extra care is required around cats.

[ktitan]

The international agency for research on cancer classifies permethrin as not classifiable which means they don't know if it causes cancer or not. the EPA says it is likely to cause cancer if eaten (You probably shouldn't eat it, but you should take care to keep it away from things that will feed the water supply and also any fruit or vegi garden).
There are several studies that show birth defects in mammals who are fed permethrin. There are a couple of studies on pregnant humans who used it topically during pregnancy (for scabies and lice), these studies showed no affect on the pregnancies. As silver surfer said fish are very sensitive to permethrin.

Like most chemicals there is a risk vs reward calculation that has to be made. For me this is a pretty low one and I routinely wear clothes which are manufactured with permethrin in the fiber. I would much rather have this chemical on me than deet, but I use both because the risk of tick born disease where I spend my time is very high and the risk of mosquito born disease is rising.

I would probably apply it to my hammock with precautions to keep the environment safe, but It seems like a lot of work. I would love it if a manufacturer would make a hammock with fabric similar to what ex officio uses in their bugs away clothes.