Guys,
I stumbled across something today while shooting 3D.
I ran out of my bug spray, 89deg and 90 percent humidity. I stopped and picked some up.
After spraying myself down and wiping my hands off, my fingers started to stick to my arrows. I sprayed one of my old arrows and found that the bug spray had dissolved the water base polycrilic from Minwax .
The bug spray that I bought was Coleman brand 100 percent Deet.
Has anyone else had this problem?
I work in the bush and it will dissolve pens, steering wheels, hard hats, etc.
Deet will dissolve a lot of synthetics including plastics and the like. It will destroy fly line, I know that for a fact. I wouldn't want it anywhere near my bowstrings.
yup deet will eat almost anything,----- makes you wonder.
You can use DEET to loosen rusted/corroded bolts
It will cause the finish on your bow to bubble, don't ask me how I know.
Ruined the finish on a gun stock AND damaged the metal on the barrel. Made me sick. Can fix the stock- not the metal.
I found out DEET would melt bow finishes and paint back in the mid 1980's. I kept using it and was more careful around my stuff after that. About 1990 I found peritherin based sprays worked well for clothing and just used the DEET on back of neck as needed. Now days During hunting season, no DEET. I have been using Thermocells for the last 10 years, I don't hunt without one. For 3D shoots I use the low strength DEET sprays that dry quickly, I just spray ankles and legs and peretherin spray on all clothes and shoes. I havn't found a redbug on me in many years..but a tick or two gets though every year.
Has anyone tried picaridin? I heard that it was supposed to be gear safe and even read a few blurbs that claimed it was more effective than DEET in some cases. I also read that it doesn't leave you feeling greasy like DEET which is one of my main complaints about bug spray. I bought a bottle of Cutter with 15% Picaridin bout I haven't tried it out yet.
There's also geraniol. There's one I like called 'Herbal Armor'
I hate getting deet on my lips and feeling them go numb
Don't spray it on your watch either.
I use Repel Sportsman "Gear Smart" which is 20% Pacaridin. It's specifically marketed as a DEET alternative that wont melt your gear. It worked for me and is certainly better than nothing but I haven't found anything that compares to the effectiveness of DEET. I use DEET now but I'm extra careful about what I touch and I make sure to wash my palms after application.
We used Muskol (100% deet)from CN years back guiding fly fishing in MT... pointy-butt flies that bite thought it was salad dressing.
As said, dissolved fly lines, latex waders, finishes, and personally, I can no longer put it anywhere on my skin or break out in a rash...using 100% all those many months in the hot and sweating did a job on me.
I use permethran sprays now exclusively--on clothes only, of course, and wear very light weight long sleeve shirts
QuoteOriginally posted by Scott357:
Has anyone tried picaridin? I heard that it was supposed to be gear safe and even read a few blurbs that claimed it was more effective than DEET in some cases. I also read that it doesn't leave you feeling greasy like DEET which is one of my main complaints about bug spray. I bought a bottle of Cutter with 15% Picaridin bout I haven't tried it out yet.
I tried it - I read about it on someone's website - someone had a video about what they put in there pocket quiver (Art Vincent maybe). It was fairly expensive for bug spray, harder to find but was not sticky, not sure if it worked as well as deet either. It smelled better. I did not spray my bow with it - ha! I don't use my hands with bug spray and don't have the issue the rest of you seen to have. I don't spray my hands either.
Learned the hard way on Bear Quest this year. I was using 40% deet. Messed up the finish and the leather grip on my bow. After i figured that out, I just used the thermocell and it worked well enough on its own. No more bug spray for me. Well maybe just around the ankles, LOL.
Try Badger's bug spray and never have to look back.
Deet just works ask well though. I hate the greasy feeling so I bought that off backwoods DRY. It dies suddenly and doesn't leave your feeling like greaser!
Try Bite Blocker. Its all natural, if you want to go in that direction and I can vouch for effectiveness. There is an odor though, so sniff before you buy. I don't mind tjhe smell its all good, but someone might.
BTW, in a test of Bite Blocker vs Badgers Bite Blocker was more effective. Not scientific, but the girlfriend was reaching for my bottle of BB halfway through the day even though she had her own can of Badgers...
I use permethrins on my clothes for tick control - DEET just does not cut it. For mosquitoes and gnats I use non DEET repellants on my face, necks and hands to avoid damage to finished surfaces.
Haven't used bug spray in nearly 10 years....THERMACELL
Thermacell does keep flying bugs away, but does it also take care of ticks and chiggers ?
I'll have to try the bite blocker, thanks jhg, I'll try and let you know how it goes. It only lists black flies and mosquitos, like I said above, it's the ticks and chiggers I worry about.
Thermacell does keep flying bugs away, but does it also take care of ticks and chiggers ?
I'll have to try the bite blocker, thanks jhg, I'll try and let you know how it goes.
for keeping ticks and chiggers away I use home made spray 1cup distilled white vineger 2 cups water 2 tsp lemon juice. mix it up, put it in a spray bottle and spray it on. I haven't had a tick, chigger,fly and very few mosquitos. I only use it for 3D shoots and ground hog hunting. I don't mind the smell for that but deer hunting I use thermocell
Permetherine is very effective against ticks and chiggers albeit not so effective against flying pests. I have come to accept flying bugs as a trade off against ticks.
Jake,
I've read stats quoted here on the effectiveness of permetherine to ward off misquitos... about 70% if memory serves me, which often anymore, it doesn't!
I spray down my face mask, shirt, coat, pants, socks, hat...then line dry... and I see skeets buzzing around my head, but they don't seem to land and bite...
Course, my hearing now sucks from tinnitus, so I don't hear them like I once did (skeets)but I swell up from every such bite... and Permetherin has served me well.
Doc, you are right. I spray all my clothing down as well but, since I don't use a face mask they tend to try to get at my face. Same if I wear short sleeves. Here in MO the risk of malaria or west Nile is fairly low and my fear of Lymes Disease is much greater. So when it gets a put thick I will spray a little off around my ears but, I hate the ticks much worse and permetherine is very very effective against them.
I did a permethrin soak on my clothes and it works very well indeed, the military knows it works too and if its good enough for them it's ok for me too.
I remember reading some studies a few years back and they claim that going over about 70% deet doesn't really increase the effectiveness. Personally I hate the stuff but ill use the spray when I have to. I haven't used 100% deet for years and don't ever intend on doing it again.
A Thermacell is the answer. It works and you obviously can't get overspray on ANYTHING.
I vote Thermacell :archer:
Yep deet messed up the finish on my little Browning 22 I had back in the 80s that stuff is potent. I just use my thermacell know.
I try to avoid DEET. Actually, I use very little repellant at all, just around my eyes and ears. I wear a face mask and gloves. I am using a bottle of all natural stuff that I have had for about 5 years.
In Dorchester Co, MD the mosquitoes are out in Dec. Thermocell works great while on stand but not while walking, you'll be eaten alive by the time you get to your stand. When using DEET products spray them on a paper towel and then apply to your body. You won't get any on your palms to harm finishes.
yep, been there done similar with the deet, I'm really liking the botanical repellent that Off makes, there are a couple of them and I've had good luck with both.
permethrin on clothes for ticks and chiggers,
picardin on skin, I use the 7% since I can't smell it once dry, the 15% had an odor. Picardin works pretty well but does require more frequent application then deet in a our hot skeeter infested areas. I use it when working/walking in the woods. Have not used deet for years. Just bought another 20 bottles for the season. Yeah I spend a lot of time in the woods.
Thermacel in stand but use picardin if needed as supplement when the little buggers are viscous.