Mosquitoes and ticks

[MattCook]

I'm a huge target for mosquitos. I like to do backcountry camping with my dogs. Anyone have any good hacks against mosquitoes and ticks while camping?

 

[jbombelli]

Permethrin for ticks. Spray your clothing and boots (don't spray your undies). Deet for your skin.

 

[MattCook]

What about for dogs? I don't like the smell of the drops and the edible tick products are pricey. Any good safe hacks for dogs?

 

[jerrob]

Permethrin for ticks. Spray your clothing and boots (don't spray your undies). Deet for your skin.

This.
I'm also a tick and skeeter magnet and the above advise is exactly what keeps them off me. I stopped turkey hunting because of ticks, then I found the permethrin and all is good now.
I hang my clothes on a line outside, spray the permthrin on heavily and let it dry.
Deet for the mosquitoes and you're all set.
Bonus tip, biting flies are kept at bay with a dab of Vick's Vap o rub on your neck and ankles, learned that one whilst getting eaten alive by those bastards on a Lake Michigan fishing trip one summer.

 

[Brickmandan]

I do a lot of backcountry camping myself. The Permethrin and deet work for sure. My dog gets heartguard for heartworms and nextguard for ticks. Ticks still bite with the nextguard but die before they can transmit any disease. It is expensive but totally worth it. When I'm just hanging around camp my thremacell works really well to keep mosquitos and flys away.

 

[flyingsquirrel]

My dogs also take internal flea and tick meds monthly but still bring ticks into the house. As an additive prevention I use Bronco Equine Fly Spray from TSC. It is cheap and repels mosquitos and kills flies, ticks, and fleas. It does have Permethrin but also other repellants. It comes in a 1 qt. spray bottle. It helps. Once a week when the bugs are bad

 

[Leadeye]

Here in the GSF we could not function without Permethrin, it is toxic to cats though.

 

[avboiler11]

Sawyer's Permethrin on your clothes...spray and allow to dry before wearing. Backwoods OFF for mosquitoes.

Seresto collars have been MAGIC for not having ticks all over my black lab.

 

[MattCook]

This.
I'm also a tick and skeeter magnet and the above advise is exactly what keeps them off me. I stopped turkey hunting because of ticks, then I found the permethrin and all is good now.
I hang my clothes on a line outside, spray the permthrin on heavily and let it dry.
Deet for the mosquitoes and you're all set.
Bonus tip, biting flies are kept at bay with a dab of Vick's Vap o rub on your neck and ankles, learned that one whilst getting eaten alive by those bastards on a Lake Michigan fishing trip one summer.

Dude I got mauled up in Michigan

 

[MattCook]

My dogs also take internal flea and tick meds monthly but still bring ticks into the house. As an additive prevention I use Bronco Equine Fly Spray from TSC. It is cheap and repels mosquitos and kills flies, ticks, and fleas. It does have Permethrin but also other repellants. It comes in a 1 qt. spray bottle. It helps. Once a week when the bugs are bad

Awesome. Yeah my dogs take flea and tick treatment but still bring them into tent and house. Thank you

 

[Magyars]

Sulphur works..but it's hard to get the smell out of your clothes and it's hell on silver jewelry.

 

[MattCook]

Does it smell like rotten eggs?

 

[johntheplinker]

Sawyer's Permethrin on your clothes...spray and allow to dry before wearing. Backwoods OFF for mosquitoes.

Seresto collars have been MAGIC for not having ticks all over my black lab.

Go down to your local seed and feed store and pick up a pint of livestock premises spray and a gallon sized garden sprayer. Mix the spray a little stronger ( I use 2x strength) than on the instructions and then spray your clothes with it. For the price of a single bottle of the premix you'll have enough to last a couple of years. Exact same stuff for a whole lot less $.
I've also been using Picardin based skeeter spray the last couple of years. Works about as well plus it doesn't melt nylon and other synthetics.

 

[DeadeyeChrista'sdad]

Believe it or not, largely cutting sugar out of your diet will make you less attractive to mosquitoes.

 

[MattCook]

Believe it or not, largely cutting sugar out of your diet will make you less attractive to mosquitoes.

If this is true, my mind will have been blown. Thanks Dead Eye!

 

[mom45]

Thermacell I wear one when I work in my flowers or am outside and it works GREAT for mosquitoes.

 

[dvd1955]

Wife and I usually only hike during the colder months. We've been going once a week for most of the last 6 months. Went hiking by Salamonie Lake yesterday. Had two ticks on me when we got back to our car. Thankfully they hadn't dug in yet. Wife and I are are against using chemicals unless absolutely necessary, so wondered if anyone knew of any natural tick repellents?
Usually once we start seeing ticks, we switch to kayaking for our weekly outing. I guess it's time.

 

[gungirl65]

What about for dogs? I don't like the smell of the drops and the edible tick products are pricey. Any good safe hacks for dogs?

The cheapest thing to do for fleas and ticks is a seresto collar. It lasts for 8 months. Although they cost approx $60 dollars they currently have a $15 rebate for each one you buy.

That's what I did this year with my crew.

My next favorite thing would be Nexgard but that would run you approx $17 to $20 a month depending on the weight of the dog.

Make sure you research any home remedies you try because a lot of essential oils and other remedies can be toxic to dogs and cats.

We all like to cut corners but flea control should not be one of the places that we do.

Never use anything intended for dogs on cats. It can cause seizures and be fatal.

 

[teddy12b]

Wife and I usually only hike during the colder months. We've been going once a week for most of the last 6 months. Went hiking by Salamonie Lake yesterday. Had two ticks on me when we got back to our car. Thankfully they hadn't dug in yet. Wife and I are are against using chemicals unless absolutely necessary, so wondered if anyone knew of any natural tick repellents?
Usually once we start seeing ticks, we switch to kayaking for our weekly outing. I guess it's time.

This only works if you own the property or are going to the same place, but on my property I put preying mantis egg cases out almost every year. They grow up and love to eat ticks. Putting lady bugs out is also good because they will eat the tick eggs. I prefer the nature method because it's more effective. Why not just tip the scales in favor of something that's going to grow up and be a hungry teenager instead of a chemical that washes off a little more with every rain fall.

 

[shibumiseeker]

Wife and I usually only hike during the colder months. We've been going once a week for most of the last 6 months. Went hiking by Salamonie Lake yesterday. Had two ticks on me when we got back to our car. Thankfully they hadn't dug in yet. Wife and I are are against using chemicals unless absolutely necessary, so wondered if anyone knew of any natural tick repellents?
Usually once we start seeing ticks, we switch to kayaking for our weekly outing. I guess it's time.

I prefer to do my hiking in colder weather for a number of reasons, the bitey things being among them. But I live in the woods and while I do use DEET and permethrin and Buggins pretty liberally, I also use head nettings and these on my hats:
Amazon product ASIN B0038RO1YI.

The latter mostly make me feel better when I see a few trapped on them.

I've learned a long time ago that frequent tick checks throughout the day is just part of the warm weather ritual.

I did an experiment last year with one of my Insect Shield shirts. I let a tick crawl across it for 10 seconds, then carefully picked it off and observed it. Within a minute it was dead. I felt much more confident after that. I repeated that experiment with a couple of others with similar results.