Best Bug Repellent?

[Glendon Mullins]

I like the Repel wipes - easy to carry, can doesn't lose spray, etc. Use this fishing, work, etc.

For running around in the bushes/swamps down here - permethrin treated clothes, picaridin wipes from avon for exposed areas, and the head net. The head net makes it bearable.

Use thermacell religiously when on stand or duck hunting. Works great. I have one that is 15-20 years old. They sell bulk pack butane and bug repellent pads. You can get chinese bug repellent pads with diff chems for cheap.

Ready for the last approach? 1 or 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar daily. Won't keep em all off but sure makes a diff with ticks and chiggers.

where do u get the cheap pads?

 

[Glendon Mullins]

I wasn't impressed with the Thermocell. We were covered up in mosquitoes with the Thermocell sitting on the tray shelf on my chair. I don't even like the repellents, I want them dead. I need a flame thrower that emits flame 360 degrees in every direction around me.

r u sure it was actually on? occasionally i thought i had mine lit and it actually wasn't, but they make the same sound if u put your ear to it (the hissing sound of the fuel) and you "think" it's on

 

[dylanvb]

tugrivercopper, do you use the thermacell MR300 when on hikes and stuff? I am going to get the Thermacell Backpacker for base camp but i am now looking at which application to use for hiking and fishing.

 

[Glendon Mullins]

I would take theMR300 anywhere there are mosquitos, hiking, hunting, backpacking, cheap whore houses etc.

seriously though get the carry case for it though, if not u have no way to clip it on anything and will attempt to carry it in your pocket, which will result in disaster because the face of them gets pretty hot to the touch

 

[5MilesBack]

r u sure it was actually on? occasionally i thought i had mine lit and it actually wasn't, but they make the same sound if u put your ear to it (the hissing sound of the fuel) and you "think" it's on

It was hot and burning, I could smell it.

 

[Rich M]

where do u get the cheap pads?

If you look on EBay you can find some called ARS Mat 12. I have these - a lil thicker than thermacell mats but real cheap.

You can also do an online search and get a 12 pack of thermacell pads from Home depot for like $17 - called Thermacell Backpacker.

 

[Rob5589]

Skeeters loved my Thermocell, landed right on it Some swear by them, some swear at them.

 

[fwafwow]

I'm a fan of the old school Thermocell, even in the lowcountry of SC. They aren't as good, however, for biting flies. I'm concerned that the smell doesn't help deer hunting, so I'm thinking of trying this out for early season in SC and GA:

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[Where's Bruce?]

Thermacell, Thermacell, Thermacell!!!!!

We hunt wild boar right on the Altahama River Swamps in Georgia in Late Feb/March each year, and there are millions of skeeters big enough to carry away small children!!

no thermacell and u are eaten alive in 10 minutes

with thermacell you can hunt comfortably!

Provided there is no breeze. Any wind renders Thermacell useless. If it's still, Thermacell is the best!

 

[Glendon Mullins]

Provided there is no breeze. Any wind renders Thermacell useless. If it's still, Thermacell is the best!

you know that's a point i have never encountered, i guess where we normally hunt at night, the breezes have laid down for the evening/night. I will try to pay attention next time i am using one where there is a breeze....thanks

 

[dylanvb]

Provided there is no breeze. Any wind renders Thermacell useless. If it's still, Thermacell is the best!

I am glad you brought this up, This is the first time i will be fishing in this area and I'm not sure how the wind will be. If it is windy should I lean more towards something spray on or a lotion? I plan on getting the Thermacell Backpacker for camp. Need something for on the move.

 

[cardbender1]

I am a believer in thermacell, set it on ground upwind and they work!

 

[Boarmaster]

We use thermocells in South Florida. They work n the skitters down here.
Just before dark they can get bad. I thought it was sort of a gimmick but was proved otherwise. I hate using bug spray.

 

[Boarmaster]

Near the Everglades where I had my lease and hunted if there was a breeze or wind skitters werent much of a problem. In the evening when that wind laid down and it got still they attacked. I am sure its different in different locations.

 

[Dos Perros]

My wife has that blood type that the skeeters love. We just got done backpacking the high country of Colorado and the skeeters were bad this year. In preparation I got her a Simms bug repellent hooded shirt. The thing really worked. We sprayed permethrin on her pants and hat and she infrequently re-sprayed the hat, but the shirt was really effective, she raved about it.

 

[dylanvb]

Alright so I just got back from a trip up to the High Sierras and I went the cheap route to save some money. I picked up a bottle of the Sawyer Maxi Deet along with the Sawyer Picaridin Lotion and we only used the Maxi Deet spray the whole weekend. I only ended up with 2 actual bites and my Fiance only had 3 and all are in areas that we didn't spray such as the behind the ear and hands. This stuff worked pretty well and for $6 I consider it a win. Maybe in the future I will pick up a thermacell but for right now I will keep using Sawyer products. Mosquitoes were everywhere on this trip since we were camping about 50ft from a stream and they were out in force. Had one of our buddies who had the all natural spray and he was getting bite every couple minutes. Pretty happy at the end of the day.

 

[Wiscohunter]

Permethrin is great for ticks, but I find the mosquitoes will still bite you. Sure, they might die later if they land on my treated clothes, but I still get bit. I have found deet works on mosquitoes, 40% usually does the trick. I will treat clothes with permethrin if there are ticks in the area as I haven't found deet to stop them from getting to your skin, but the permethrin works great on them. For summer scouting/treestand maintenance I will wear both despite hating repellents.

I have no experience with Thermocell.

 

[*zap*]

For spray on repellant you cannot beat Repel 40%.

 

[ODB]

Permethrin is great for ticks, but I find the mosquitoes will still bite you. Sure, they might die later if they land on my treated clothes, but I still get bit. I have found deet works on mosquitoes, 40% usually does the trick. I will treat clothes with permethrin if there are ticks in the area as I haven't found deet to stop them from getting to your skin, but the permethrin works great on them. For summer scouting/treestand maintenance I will wear both despite hating repellents.

I have no experience with Thermocell.

Add some picaradin to your exposed skin. Permethrin is not a repellant, but an insecticide, so they have to touch the stuff. Picaradin is a repellant, more like deet. They should always be used as a pair in my opinion.

 

[journeyman713]

Thermocell definitely works!
Less wind the better, it will clear out an area that would otherwise be swarming.
It's been proven many times over for me.