Hi All,

I'm looking to try out Permethrin on our clothing this year. I want to get the concentrate so we can soak our clothes instead of spraying them down.

I know REI sells the spray pumps etc., but I'm wondering if any stores carry the concentrate or if you have to buy it online.

For those that have gone this route - I'm looking at the 10% solution. Is that what you all use? Where do you recommend I go to get it? What exactly do you get?

Thanks for any/all info!

In the past I have bought the Sawyer concentrate (don't know the strength, though) at our local Meijer store in the camping department, and also at Jay's Sporting Goods, and I believe once at Gander Mountain. I think I have seen it at Walmart also.

I think I bought it at Cabelas, but it was two years ago.

I was at Cabelas in Kansas City Saturday. They had 1 package of the concentrate out on the end cap w. the rest of the Sawyer stuff. It was either marked down or on sale. It's normal price was roughly $15.00 and was marked down to about $10.00 if I remember. It didn't say it was clearance, but I got that impression.

the sawyer soak version isnt a concentrate, its just a different option for applying it. the spray and soak versions both end up being 0.5% permethrin.

no way in hell i would apply 10% permethrin. dilute it to 0.5% like sawyer does...they are the experts.

I get mine at Fleet Farm in 10% concentration and dilute it to .5%

Check farm supply stores.

quote KevinL: "I get mine at Fleet Farm in 10% concentration and dilute it to .5%


Check farm supply stores. "

kevin? im equation challenged right now, could you share your dilution math.

example...1oz. of 10% added to ? oz. water equals 0.5%

20 oz. of water, right?

quote kanoes: "

quote KevinL: "I get mine at Fleet Farm in 10% concentration and dilute it to .5%



Check farm supply stores. "

kevin? im equation challenged right now, could you share your dilution math.


example...1oz. of 10% added to ? oz. water equals 0.5%

20 oz. of water, right?"

I buy the Insectrin X located in the animal health/farm supply area. It comes in at 10% concentration. I diluted it to .5% - Quart costs like $16.


Here is how I do it.


Initial Volume x Initial Concentration = Final Volume x Final Concentration.


If you start out with 1cup at 10%


So,


8 oz (10%) = Xoz (0.5%)
.8 = 0.005x
x = 160 oz


So will have end up with 160 oz total volume. To get this, add the 1 cup of 10% to 152oz of H20

so i was really close. :) 19 oz of water to 1 oz 10%

More on how I mix it up. I use a plastic garbage can. I mix up the solution and place what ever I want to treat. Right or wrong I let it all soak for an hour or so and then with rubber gloves on I wring it out and put on the clothes line and let it all dry. This all usually takes several batches to get everything done. Clothes go into garbage bag until we are ready to go out the first day.

When its all done I pour the leftovers into the Hudson sprayer and go around the yard.

quote kanoes: "

quote KevinL: "I get mine at Fleet Farm in 10% concentration and dilute it to .5%



Check farm supply stores. "

kevin? im equation challenged right now, could you share your dilution math.


example...1oz. of 10% added to ? oz. water equals 0.5%

20 oz. of water, right?"

19 oz of water, kanoes assuming the formula above is accurate


1 cup = 8 oz 2 Tab = 1 oz

Sawyer makes it easier.

I use the 36% solution. Much more economical than the 10%. One pint will last for years. Google "permethrin 36%".

quote CanoeKev: "I use the 36% solution. Much more economical than the 10%. One pint will last for years. Google "permethrin 36%". "

I agree. The main reason why I use the 10% concentration is because it’s easy for me to obtain and I’m always looking for the $.04 off gas coupon to buy gas at Fleet Farm.

thanks for the formula verification kevin. i stopped at TS today and got 8oz of 10%. it was enough to soak all the clothing im taking along (minus undapants and johns).

Go the horse section and buy zone it fly spray. It has the correct concentration for spraying clothes and it smells good. Very cheap compared to other sources.

quote PJ: "Go the horse section and buy zone it fly spray. It has the correct concentration for spraying clothes and it smells good. Very cheap compared to other sources."

i did see that spray there. down deep, im a soak guy i guess.

quote kanoes: "thanks for the formula verification kevin. i stopped at TS today and got 8oz of 10%. it was enough to soak all the clothing im taking along (minus undapants and johns)."

If you do a fleece jacket, make sure to keep a container underneath as no matter how much I wring it out, I still get to recover a lot of the soaking medium as it drips down. Good luck.

quote KevinL: "

quote kanoes: "thanks for the formula verification kevin. i stopped at TS today and got 8oz of 10%. it was enough to soak all the clothing im taking along (minus undapants and johns)."

If you do a fleece jacket, make sure to keep a container underneath as no matter how much I wring it out, I still get to recover a lot of the soaking medium as it drips down. Good luck."

i found that out.

a mistake i will not repete...from now on im only buying sawyer permethrin.

that 10% i bought and diluted to 0.5% REEKS even when dry, its a terrible smell. sawyers is odorless when dry.

lesson learned...the grass isnt greener on the other side.

In a day or so it will be better and won't smell it by trip time. At least I don't.

you were right. its getting better now.

quote kanoes: "you were right. its getting better now."

I decided to buy my Sherpa a new pair of nylon pants the other day and of course they weren't treated so I too had to pickup another 8oz and make another batch. They to smelled bad to begin with but now today they are ready for the pack.

Some permethrin concentrates use petroleum distillates as carriers. They need the "oil" so that they will stick to the intended target. Others, like Sawyers, are water-based. Needless to say, the water-based versions won't have as much of a smell, especially wet. If you are looking at agricultural sources, be sure the packaging doesn't say "Contains petroleum distillates."

Pete

great info. thank you.

Where is the stuff (permethrin) at Fleet Farm? i.e. - Which department?

this is an old thread...but i thought i would put my 2 cents in....1 oz of 10% permithrin to 19 oz water would be 5.2% mixture....right? to get a true "half percent" mixture (.5%) or .005 would be .1 oz of perm to 19 oz of water....unless the 10% has something to do with it?? my head hurts. somebody clarify this

quote Sierra1: "Where is the stuff (permethrin) at Fleet Farm? i.e. - Which department?"

livestock area.

quote Cc26: "this is an old thread...but i thought i would put my 2 cents in....1 oz of 10% permithrin to 19 oz water would be 5.2% mixture....right? to get a true "half percent" mixture (.5%) or .005 would be .1 oz of perm to 19 oz of water....unless the 10% has something to do with it?? my head hurts. somebody clarify this"

1 oz of 10% permethrin contains 0.1 oz permethrin
20 oz of 0.5% permethrin also contains 0.1 oz permethrin

Mix up whatever amount you want by volume. i.e. pour in 1 cup 10% concentrate then add enough water to total 20 cups. Bob's your uncle, there's 1-1/4 gal at 1/20th the original concentration... 0.5%, ready to spray.

Amazon the 36.1% stuff
Youtube the 'permethrin soak' video - gives specific instructions for that concentrate

enjoy the trip

Spray or soak, what's the best method?

quote A1t2o: "Spray or soak, what's the best method?"

I've sprayed once and soaked every other time, as recently as yesterday. No question which is easier, more effective, and most cost effective for me.

quote ParkerMag: "

quote A1t2o: "Spray or soak, what's the best method?"

I've sprayed once and soaked every other time, as recently as yesterday. No question which is easier, more effective, and most cost effective for me."

Soaking just doesn't seem easier to me. The fact that it smells too puts me off. I thought laying my clothes on the canoe and spraying was incredibly easy, but my bigger concern is if it really works as well.

quote BobDobbs: "Amazon the 36.1% stuff..."

Yup, I just bought a quart of 38.6% on Amazon for $21.99 that will make 77.2 qts at 0.5%, ($0.28/qt) vs 24 oz Sawyer spray bottle for $16.00 which is 3/4 qt at 0.5% ($21.33/qt)

Mix your own and get 76 times as many applications for the money.

quote A1t2o: "

quote ParkerMag: "

quote A1t2o: "Spray or soak, what's the best method?"

I've sprayed once and soaked every other time, as recently as yesterday. No question which is easier, more effective, and most cost effective for me."

Soaking just doesn't seem easier to me. The fact that it smells too puts me off. I thought laying my clothes on the canoe and spraying was incredibly easy, but my bigger concern is if it really works as well."

use gloves, soak outside - use a 5 gal bucket and hand wring/line dry.

line drying should be done in the shade if possible - sunlight supposedly breaks the permethrin down.

even using the evil smelly concentrate, I couldn't detect any smell after everything was totally dry.

I mix my permethrin up and put it in a pump sprayer. I spray all of our clothing till saturated well. I have gotten the Permethrin at Farm and Fleet in the livestock section of the store.

Tractor Supply Company sells it in various strengths/various brands too. I just processed some clothing today using Martin's 10% solution, which I ordered from Amazon. The smell was not strong during any of the soaking & ringing-out. Hung the clothing under a shade tree to air dry. I'll bring them in tonite and will air them out on clothes line again tomorrow. Hope the birds don't crap on 'em.
I used Gordon's two years ago and that solution was strong smelling. Stunk, in fact.

This article focuses on the ratios for the Martin 10% version mentioned a few times in this thread, which gets mixed 6.4oz to top off a gallon of water for a 0.5% Permethrin dilution;

http://sectionhiker.com/permethrin-soak-method-guide/

Fleet farm

Fleet Farm sells "Goodnight Odorless Bed Bug Spray". Costs $7 and has .05 permethrin. Works great.

I love having Amazon prime, I buy Martin's 10%. It does not smell or anything after applying like someone else mentioned the concentrate he used did.

It's cheap at $20 for 32oz, which is enough to make 320oz at 1% or 640oz at 0.5%

https://www.amazon.com/Martins-Permethrin-10-32oz-Quart/dp/B00061MSS0/ref=pd_sim_468_6?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B00061MSS0&pd_rd_r=CPFY0H6FPRZ56BW6K7DS&pd_rd_w=eYUN2&pd_rd_wg=D8ZTY&psc=1&refRID=CPFY0H6FPRZ56BW6K7DS

Never let an old thread fade away! I'm soaking clothes and a bug net today and decided to do some research here to make sure that I mixed correctly to get the 0.5% solution I was targeting. I picked up the concentrate at Fleet Farm as others have done and followed the directions on the label to mix.

If anything, I've diluted my mixture in a 5 gallon bucket a bit too much but I'd rather err on the side of less chemical versus more. I'm going to let everything soak for an hour, wring it all out, hang in the shade and let it air out.

We'll see how it all goes.

quote HighnDry: "Never let an old thread fade away! I'm soaking clothes and a bug net today and decided to do some research here to make sure that I mixed correctly to get the 0.5% solution I was targeting. I picked up the concentrate at Fleet Farm as others have done and followed the directions on the label to mix.


If anything, I've diluted my mixture in a 5 gallon bucket a bit too much but I'd rather err on the side of less chemical versus more. I'm going to let everything soak for an hour, wring it all out, hang in the shade and let it air out.


We'll see how it all goes."

If you error and it's a little stronger than 0.5 % don't worry too much as the permethrin strength in the treatment of head lice for kids is 1%.

Agreed. If it's a bit stronger, it shouldn't be a problem. I think my solution might be a bit weaker than anticipated which would be fine too. It will still chase away or discourage most flying things and especially those tiny crawling insects.

So far, things are drying quickly even in this humidity. The smell isn't bad. We plan to air everything out in the garage overnight and even give it all a washing if necessary to knock down the odor.

It's certainly a lot cheaper to do it this way.