Bug Repellent
 

Hey, I've recently been ramping up my outdoor productions and I've run into a couple questions, that I'd definitely like some help on.

Are there any Tick Repellent "formulas" that can be applied "clothes" and then just washed out when done?

Is there any sort of "anti every bug" formula that I can use to stop the barrage of mosquitos my crew & I face? My whole crew lathered on "Off" bug spray this prior weekend, and we only shot for perhaps 45 Minutes in a Wooded area and we all get fairly killed by Mosquitos and ticks/what have you. The main issue is ticks, which irks my crew to no avail, and seem to be EVERYWHERE we film, Any sort of incense/etc we can use to get the darn buggers to at least not latch onto us wherever we go? :|

Thanks.

Hi Paul,
I am by no means a knowledgable expert in this area, but I have work several week-long summer camp projects in wooded areas during many Julys. I noticed you mentioned having used the "Off" spray. I used this several years ago and found it fairly inneffective for the bugs where I was staying - however, then I discovered that they also make a "Deep Woods Off" version and one in a rub-on cream. It is not as clean to apply as the spray, but I never had a problem with bugs when using this product. (Except maybe when I would sweat and run the stuff into my eyes...pain - a bandana comes in handy there.)

You could check out options available at a Sport & Game shop, or an army surplus outlet, but if you can't find something more robust, try the "Deep Woods Off"

Hope this helps.
-Jon

I shoot in the woods and outdoors all the time (that's what I do) and I've found that the BEST product is "Deep Woods Off"...regular "Off" simply isn't strong enough. I coat myself pretty heavily with it, including my clothing, and especially around elastic waistbands, sock lines, etc. Oh, and I spray the living daylights out of my hiking boots.

You can also find some "100% Deet" in sporting goods stores, but I don't recommend it; bug spray theoritically can be harmful, and I'm not sure I want THAT amount of concentrated deet on my skin! Ha-ha! Besides, Deet itself doesn't stick to skin very well (so I've read) so the 100% stuff tends to wear off quicker than the normal spary-type products like "Deep Woods Off".

2¢

Please keep in mind that DEEt is very harmful to many plastics and paint and you should make sure your hands are completely clean and any other part of your body that will come in contact with your gear.

OK guys, now you've touched on a subject very near and dear to me :-) I recently bought a house with 10 acres of dense woods which adjoins a state forest, and have also spent many years living in similar places and hiking around the woods.

But for the past month I've been clearing trails through my woods and this year the ticks are terrible! Where are you located Paul? As part of the DVinfo sign-up you should provide your location because it helps us answer questions in the correct context; click on the "controls" link above, go to your profile and enter your location.

Anyway, I've been experimenting a lot with repellents for the past month, and have reached the conclusion that DEET is a waste of time and money when it comes to ticks. I just posted a long message about this on a local forum related to the NJ Pine Barrens, so instead of repeating it all here, have a look: http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/show...09&postcount=6

As a followup to that, the stuff definitely works but nothing is 100% effective. Yesterday I was putting on my treated shoes and noticed there was still a tick on them. When I went to remove it I noticed it was dead! Also see this: http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/show...1&postcount=13

It will also help a lot to try and avoid their habitat - don't walk through any tall grass or brush up against any foliage unless you have to. The grass also may be full of CHIGGERS. That's another story, but they are living hell...

Bug Off Clothing
 

A lot of fishermen use Bug Off clothing with good results. Might make a useful addition to the Backwoods Off. I know it cn be gotten at any REI shop or at Orvis.com.

I have heard about that clothing, and I believe it's treated with the same stuff I suggested above (permethrin). According to the label, the chemical actually bonds to the fibers in your clothing and remains even after several washings. The pre treated clothes are supposed to be good for something like 25 washing. But it should be less expensive to spray your own clothes - half a $5 can does a full outfit.

But really, you have to remain vigilant for ticks and brush them off your clothes constantly, then shower and check yourself as soon as you get home.

On the White River near Ketchikan the guide had us put a square of Bounce fabric softener under our hats. It was to help repel mosquitoes and other tiny flying bugs.

The strong sweet smell may ruin your appetite, tho.

I don't know if it really worked. I generally don't attract mosquitoes too readily, or I just don't mind them. Seems that when we're standing in a group I'm the only one not constantly swatting at 'em.

Boyd... Thanks for the info on ticks and DEET.

By the way, there's been a lot written about DEET and potential harmful side effects. I avoid using repellant as much as possible.

My girlfriend is very environmentally conscious so instead of bug repellent she had me put on Citronella. However, I haven't had a chance to prove its worth yet. The one time I had it on I didn't see a mosquito. Either it works REALLY well and dismisses them from view or I haven't tested it properly yet.

Since Paul's original post mentioned that ticks were the biggest issue, I can't stress enough how careful you should be about them. Lyme disease is a big problem now with hundreds of thousands of cases. Fortunately, the ticks need to be attached to you for 24 to 36 hours before it can be transmitted. So you really need to check yourself thoroughly when you return from the woods and then you should be OK. But tick bites itch like crazy and take a long time to heal.

Even scarier is "Ehrlichiosis" which ticks transmit and it can be fatal to an otherwise healthy person. Luckily, it's pretty rare. But if you want to get scared, read the whole thread at the other site which I referenced...

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/showthread.php?t=2749

If you stay on roads and trails then you won't get very many ticks. But as soon as you start tromping through the woods, brushing up against foliage, you'll be covered with them. Lyme disease comes from the tiny deer ticks. They are flesh colored and really little - if you aren't familiar with them you won't even realize they're on you until you notice some itching and they start to fill up with your blood! My rule of thumb... if you feel an itch then examine it very carefully!

Stay safe out there...

We've learned to make sure we take a shower every evening after a shoot to check for ticks. Used to be, we'd go camping -- and I simply wouldn't shower for days. My wife HATED my outdoor hygiene Ha-ha! But, once she convinced me that a shower was beneficial for the evening 'tick check', I began to bathe every night when we're camping and/or on an outdoor shoot.

I'm actually about to spend the next four days outdoors shooting in Utah...thankfully, it's mostly ROCK and there's not much in the way of ticks out there.

:-)

The info here on ticks and other insects is great. It does take 24 or more hours to transmit lyme disease. To remove a tick simply pull it out gently. If you are worried about disease, save the tick and take it to your doctor. They will know the treatment - I believe early antibiotics is what they may give someone bitten by a deer tick, or they will instruct you on what signs and symptoms to watch for. Try spraying all clothing with your bug spray of choice, use rubber bands around ankles and wrists. They even have hats with mosquito netting attached (very attractive) at outdoor stores. And as everyone said, do a tick check and shower at the end of each day.

If you are on a shoot that is stationary, try to set up some big fans. I did this in the middle of the woods on a hot Ohio summer evening and it worked great! At the end, we turned the fans off and within minutes the mosquitoes were everywhere.

Why ARE there mosquitoes?

p.s. a smokey fire works well if you stay close to it, but it is, um, smokey!

See if you can get hold of some tropical strength repelant,it usualy comes in a rub on liquid rather than an airosol(more like sun screen).Its not as easy to apply but it works a lot better than the regular stuff.I've used it in some of the most bug infested area's imaginable and it keeps them off.The brand name I use is not available in the US,but i'm sure you have an equivelent. Remember to wash off all types of repellents as soon as you get out of the infested enviroment.