Permethrin-treated clothing, first developed by the military in the past, has been available to consumers since 2003. It is an insecticide that kills or repels mosquitoes and can be purchased or treated yourself. Treated items include boots, shirts, pants, socks, and tents. The EPA regulates the use of permethrin to pre-treat clothing, and consumer reports have evaluated its efficacy and safety concerns.
Several manufacturers, including Insect Shield and Burlington, produce these clothes, which are sold by brands like L.L.Bean and ExOfficio. Consumer Reports has tested several brands of clothing pretreated with permethrin to determine their effectiveness in stopping mosquitoes from biting. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends treating clothing with permethrin to keep bug bites at bay.
Insect Shield is the first-ever EPA registered insect repellent apparel and gear, tested and proven to help prevent bug bites. Ben’s permethrin Clothing and Gear Sprays can be used to treat clothing and gear for weeks at a time and through several washings. Brian Patton reports on his personal experience with Mark’s WindRiver No Fly Zone, the first permethrin-treated clothing approved in Canada.
Permethrin-treated clothing has been approved for people over the age of 16, including pregnant women. The Insect Proof Concept is the optimal answer for producing insect repellent clothing and can be applied to all fiber types. Ranger Ready 0.5 Permethrin Spray for Clothes and Outdoor Gear is another option for treating clothing and gear with permethrin.
📹 Mosquito Stopper? Permethrin-Treated Shirts Tested | Consumer Reports
With growing concern about Zika-carrying mosquitoes, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing …
Is permethrin legal in Europe?
Permethrin, a chemical utilized in plant protection products, is prohibited in the European Union (EU) due to the prohibition of its agricultural use under Directive 91/414/EEC, which has been in effect since 2003. However, certain non-agricultural applications are permitted under the Biocidal Products Regulation.
Is permethrin banned?
Permethrin is a restricted pesticide that is used in a variety of applications, including crop protection and the control of pests in large areas. However, due to its high toxicity to aquatic organisms, its use is limited in certain contexts. One exception is its use as an adulticide for mosquitoes in large areas.
Can permethrin 10% be used on clothes?
Permethrin, a chemical used as a repellent on clothing, has been registered since 1979. It was first used by the military in 1990 for repellent purposes, and later approved for use as a spray for consumers and commercial factory treatment. In 2003, consumer-oriented permethrin factory-treated clothing products were first registered. The pesticide registration process follows standard risk assessment procedures to determine safety. A 2009 revised exposure and risk assessment evaluated multiple exposure scenarios for permethrin factory-treated clothing, including toddlers and military personnel.
All exposure scenarios showed that permethrin is unlikely to pose a significant immediate or long-term hazard to people wearing the clothing. The amount of permethrin allowed in clothing is very low, and scientific studies indicate that human exposure from wearing permethrin factory-treated clothing is also low.
What percentage of permethrin for clothing?
Use only permethrin approved for clothing, as indicated on the label. Dilute it down to the industry standard of 0. 52 percent, which is illegal and risky, as it may not work as well due to the ingredients used in permethrin products for clothing.
Relying solely on permethrin-treated clothing may leave exposed skin vulnerable to bugs’ bites. To protect exposed skin, use an effective insect repellent with 25-30% deet, 20-30% picaridin, or 30-30% lemon eucalyptus oil. Apply the repellent correctly and remember to use repellent on clothing if you prefer not to use permethrin alone.
Catherine Roberts, a health and science journalist at Consumer Reports, has been covering infectious diseases, bugs, bug sprays, consumer medical devices, health privacy, and more. She has been at CR since 2016 and enjoys biking, horror films, and research. Follow her on Twitter @catharob.
Why is permethrin banned?
Permethrin has been demonstrated to possess highly toxic properties with regard to aquatic organisms. This has been evidenced by exceedances in the acute risk quotient for fish, invertebrates, and sediment in a number of scenarios, including those pertaining to agricultural, public health, and down-the-drain contexts.
Why is permethrin banned in Canada?
The petition argues that the use of permethrin, a highly toxic insecticide, should not be applied to crops or weeds where bees are actively foraging. However, the petitioner claims that wildflower avoidance was not observed while their neighbor’s property was being sprayed, and that bees pollinated the flowers immediately after spraying. The petition also questions the technician’s permission to apply bee-killing permethrin to the flowers and whether spraying can be done without applying a bee-killing permethrin.
The petition also questions the safety of non-target insects living in treated properties, as well as the potential for burning of mammals and birds’ eyes. It also questions the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, and the Species at Risk Act, which prohibits spraying milkweed plants during monarch butterflies’ egg-laying season.
Is permethrin clothing safe?
Permethrin, a pyrethroid pesticide, has been linked to potential health risks, with a 2019 study revealing an increased risk of heart disease in adults exposed to pyrethroids. Outdoor activities can be challenging to avoid mosquitoes and ticks, but wearing clothing treated with permethrin is recommended by public health experts. Permethrin can disable or kill bugs on contact, unlike skin-applied bug repellents that ward off insects. Wearing permethrin can help prevent tick and mosquito bites, but it’s important to be aware of potential health risks associated with pyrethroid exposure.
Is permethrin banned in the UK?
Permethrin is not banned in the UK, including London, and is widely used in commercial pest control. It is approved and safe for use, with costs ranging from £15
0 to £300 depending on the extent of the infestation and the services provided. Permethrin effectively repels a range of bugs in London, including mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, and other nuisance insects. Commercial pest control services may use Permethrin to create a barrier against these pests, with costs ranging from £150 to £300 depending on the extent of treatment and the services provided.
What is another name for permethrin?
Permethrin, available under various brand names such as Nix, Elimite, and Acticin, can be utilized for the treatment of pubic lice. The product should be applied from the head to the toes, left on for a period of 8-14 hours, and then rinsed off. In the event of a recurrence of live mites, a second application should be made within a seven-day period.
What brands use permethrin?
The United States-based pharmaceutical brands Acticin, Elimite, and Nix are utilized for the treatment of head lice and scabies infections. Permethrin 1 lotion is effective in destroying both lice and their eggs, while Nix Dermal Cream and Nix Lice Killing Creme Rinse are similarly efficacious in killing lice and scabies mites. The drug information provided by Merative and Micromedex® is cited herewith.
Is permethrin safer than DEET?
Deet repels ticks and permethrin immobilizes them on contact, both safe when used as directed by the Environmental Protection Agency. Permethrin is not applied directly to the skin but can be bought, treated with clothing, shoes, and outdoor gear, or sent to a company for treatment. The Army uses uniforms treated with permethrin for protection against disease-carrying bugs. Although less well-known than deet, permethrin has been studied for its tick-disabling properties.
Professionally treated clothing continues to disable ticks even after repeated washings. A 2018 CDC study found that professionally treated clothing lost some toxicity to ticks after 16 washes and 16 days of wear but still irritated them, causing many to fall off the clothes in lab tests.
📹 Sawyer Permethrin Clothing and Gear Insect Repellent Treatment
Sawyer Permethrin Insect Repellent Treatment is an insect repellent similar to the natural pyrethrins produced by the flowers of …
Pro Tip. Buy Happy Jack Kennel Dip II made for dogs. It is a 17% permethrin concentrate. Dilute it in a spray bottle with water. I use 1tbsp per 16 oz spray bottle of water. Spray your clothes until they are moist and let it dry for a few minutes. You’ll smell like a big lemon, but you’re good to go for at least a day. At worst a swarm may buzz by you, but they opt not to bite and don’t stick around.
I treat my own clothing with permethrin. I buy the concentrated and dilute to 2% then use a garden sprayer to apply it. Once treated it lasts for about 3 months VERY well. It works so well, that if the mosquitoes aren’t too bad, it will keep them away from bare skin too. But usually I use DEET on my skin.
Good stuff. Just buy permethrin in 10% concentration and mix 1 ounce to 20 ounces of water and spray on clothes before going out. Same effect as deet but cheaper. If allowed to dry can last 2 to 4 washes without heavy detergent. Use those flakes for smell instead or you wash off the oils that’s clinging to the clothes aka permethrin.
I use the concentrate. The bottle I have is more than 5 years old. It’s been out in the garage in all Canadian temperatures. It’s still perfectly good and potent. I squirt a spoonful on my hands and rub it into the fur around my dog’s neck, ears, chest and etc. No need to do the whole dog. No need to soak the dog. In Canada you can only buy the ‘premixed’ . Which means you’re buy a litre of water and spoonful of permethrin. Go south of the border when you can. Canada is so hopeless.
What should I wear while applying permethrin to clothing? Because of all the warnings on the label (such as no skin exposure), I cover myself from head to toe, gloves and a mask so there is no exposed skin while applying. This article says it’s harmless on skin, so am I being overly cautious? Should I at least wear a mask so I don’t inhale any of it? Also do i actually need to wash off any exposure to skin or is it unnecessary because the permethrin deactivates?
We second that motion 👍! We tried it on all of our gear and clothing last year and it was killer ( no pun intended lol). We are in the process of making a quick article to share our experiences and story. We were in Ontario, Canada last year and the mosquitoes were “bouncing” off of our tent. Amazing!! We subscribed, follow our adventures too. Cheers from Michigan
This article directly contradicts the label directions, which state that skin contact requires treatment and a call to poison control center. It says “Do not spray directly on or otherwise allow to contact skin, face, or eyes”. The label also says “It is a violation of Federal Law to use this product in a manner inconsistent with its labeling..” Why is a corporate article talking about how harmless the product is in contradiction to the label? All reports are that it is an effective product – when used per directions. It isn’t necessary to misdirect consumers to get sales.
I noticed it says on my bottle that Sawyer permethrin has a special active ingredient that allows it to bind to clothing. The only thing listed by law in the active ingredients is the permethrin. I am taking it that the permethrin is actually the binding ingredient and not anything else since it is the only active in this solution. Also does this contain distillates like some of the permethrin solutions have in them?
Wait a sec ! Hello !!! It says right on the bottle NOT TO TREAT HATS, CAPS or INNER clothing. So if at the end of the article you refer to these statements as simply “it won’t be effective” well, I agree for inner clothing (eventhough you would take the upper ones off on a hot day), but what about hats ?
While you pump the bottle leaks out and dropped onto your hand. Not good. You should worry about that. I had gloves on but I didn’t feel good about it anyway. They were just thin vinyl gloves. And what about reading it? I smelled it while I was putting it on, so I’m sure I breathe a little bit of it. You should have a warnings about it.
DON’T USE ON TENTS!!! Permethrin is great stuff. I use it on cloths and bedding. It’s a very healthy practice because it seriously reduces risk of Lyme disease, West Nile, and malaria in high risk areas without DEET. The reason not to use it on tents is permethrin is not really a repellent, it is an insecticide. If you use a light source inside a tent you will draw all sorts of insect species to the tent exterior, potentially killing them if the tent has been treated. Do you really want to be responsible for killing endangered insect species like the luna moth? Another thing: Before it dries, it’s LETHAL to cat’s (organ failure). It’s safe after it dries.
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