Tick repellant: DEET or pemethrin (sp?) or what?

DEET.

You can fool around with all sorts of other stuff and in low stress situations they might be adequate but when you need to have something that works DEET is what you want.

Reading a beach novel you can try Skin-so-soft or bay leaves or peppermint or garlic or permethrin or what have you but for the BOB DEET is the way to go. I use 100% DEET but if your sensitive, or are using it on young children, you can use lesser percentage but your going to need to apply it more often to get the same protection.

You might also look into light-weight, compact head nets. Some go for just a few dollars. Worn over a hat they provide near 100% protection for the whole head. Keeping the critters far enough away that they aren't annoying. Something even pure DEET can't do.

We used to spray our uniforms with a permethrin based spray, it would kill ticks for up to six months (washing uniforms normally). Same stuff your vet uses on his/her lab coat.

Permethrin kills (especially fish and cats), DEET repels. We used both.

Permethrin is an insecticide and a repellent. It is usually used to treat clothing. It is not applied to the skin.

DEET is a very effective repellent. It can be applied to the skin.

In bad tick areas, spray clothing with Permethrin at home before you go. Permethrin will last a couple of weeks (or longer).
Apply DEET on site, especially to those areas around the waist and lower legs for ticks. DEET will need to be reapplied after a few hours.

Picaridin is a newer repellent. It is the next best thing to DEET. It doesn't smell as bad, causes less skin irritation and does not melt some plastics like DEET does. Picaridin is probably the best alternative to DEET for those with sensitive skin or for small children. There are differences of opinion on Picaridin. It may be as effective as DEET for mosquitoes, probably not as good for ticks?

It depends on what you are applying it to. Permethrin is meant to be applied to clothing or gear, not to your skin. DEET is meant to be applied to your skin, and can eat holes in your clothing or gear depending on the material.

So the correct answer is DEET and permethrin. Kill ’em all.

Ron nailed it.

Both repel, but Permethrin is for clothes but DEET is for skin (I also hit collars and cuffs if using a spray).

Pretreat outdoor clothing with Permethrin during summer months when the bugs are out (or more depending on where you live). Use DEET for your skin when you arrive on location. 30% DEET is ideal for most areas and 100% DEET for adults only in particularly nasty areas. I always start with 30%. If it is border line head net & gloves bad, the 100% juice comes out.

I'll join the BOTH chorus - Pemethrin treatment for clothes and gear and DEET for skin BUT I'll add:

I always used 100% DEET (30+ years) but I switched to controlled release DEET two years ago and it rocks - works better than 100%. I've only used 3M Ultrathon (not in front of me), but Sawyer makes one also that should be equally effective. It's expensive, but it really goes a long way and lasts.

Again, for starving ticks and other uglies, don't skip the pemethrin treatment - the stuff is awesome and the two together really get the job done.

BTW, this is all current CDC recs as well, recently sent to all state departments of public health and re-sent to local health inspectors. Use DEET and pemethrin together.

Picardin as DEET substitute, as suggested, is supposed to be next-best to DEET for mosquitos for youngsters and those who don't like melting plastic...

Tom

For bonus points, anyone else know what flower permethrin is/was derived from?

Permethrin is derived from the daisy flower.

ding! Chrysanthemum. Sidenote: pyrethrum is the natural deriviative of the flower, pyrethroids are synthetic based on pyrethrum (permethrin).