Went out back this morning and found my XLC covered in a bunch of dead bugs.I'm not sure if bugs can see the mesh as that is where most of the dead ones were. Just a reminder to spray your mesh with permethrin!
Went out back this morning and found my XLC covered in a bunch of dead bugs.
I have been searching for a good bug spray and it seems that permethrin is a favorite. I'm assuming you just pretty much spray the bug net and after it dries attach it to your hammock setup? I appreciate the heads up!
Pewdiddy
"It's not stupid until you try it."
You spray or dip the whole hammock. And your pack. And your clothes. And your shoes. And maybe your suspension. Anything a bug can land on then get to you from it gets treated when I'm heading out to tick country.Originally Posted by Pewdiddy
I had some sawyer's brand permethrin left over and I used that up. I leave the net attached and kind of tuck it into the hammock body while I am spraying. All the spray hits either the net or the hammock. You are not supposed to touch the stuff but I kind of massage it into the fabric and spread it around.
The more economical way is to get some
http://www.amazon.com/Martins-Permet...ins+permethrin
and make a gallon to soak all of your stuff in. I like to do it early on a sunny day and then let the stuff sit out in the sun all day.
Try to avoid contact with the wet permethrin.
Wear gloves!
Ambulo tua ambulo.
I usually think about wearing gloves just as soon as I am done.
Ugh...reminds me of a forensics class I took where a farmer was found dead beside a bucket of something. Once they started investigating they realized that he was mixing up a batch of pesticides in a bucket....with his arm. Your skin absorbs toxins...never do that without gloves!I usually think about wearing gloves just as soon as I am done.
The way things are these days you're probably setting yourself up to get cancer down the road from repeated exposures each year. Maybe not, but why take the risk! Dying younger than you ought to means less hanging time in the woodsy woods and no one wants that. Sorry to derail the topic...just had to get the safety thought of the day out there.
Permethrin at a 0.5% concentration (like Sawyer's) breaks down fairly quickly on the skin. You do not want to ingest it, or get it in your eyes or open lacerations, but a few drops on your arm won't hurt. You should still run some water over it when it happens, just for safety.
It's also crucial that people with cats know that permethrin is extremely toxic to them when wet. They should not be allowed near it under any circumstances for any length of time. Dogs are less prone to permethrin troubles (that's what's in their tick treatments), but when wet it is still best to keep them far away to prevent unintended ingestion.
Many of us purchase a 30% or higher concentration to dilute to a custom strength (I use 2% to kill them things even harder). When it's that concentrated, gloves, eye protection and a mask should be worn. I can't count the number of times I've splashed a bit on my goggles or mask when I miss a pour or knock something over. Even concentrated, it's not like mustard gas or ricin, but precautions are less troublesome than medical emergencies.
And do not mix permethrin with anything but water, ever. I don't know specifically what the dangers are, but I know I don't have a PhD in chemical engineering or toxicology.
Good advice about skin contact. I wash up immediately after but I admit its not ideal.
Maybe a dumb question here, but if you dip your clothes, then wear them, aren't you still exposing yourself to all those nasty chemicals that kill bugs?
Even if it's dried, won't it still get wet again when you sweat?
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