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Fyresparxx
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We use K9 Advantix II - a permethrin based topical. It's supposed to protect against fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes, but it is the same active ingredient used as fly spray for livestock, and in medication used to treat mites, scabies, and lice in humans and animals. It works on contact; bugs don't have to bite, only land.
On a related note, we also spray all our clothing and gear (tent, hammocks, and bugnets in icluded) with permethrin before the trip. Our campsites are usually pretty bug-free; anything that touches the tent dies. I might get one bite or so during a week long trip.
Keep in mind, it's highly toxic to cats, fish, and birds until it's dry. We just keep the cat away from the dogs and don't let them swim until it's dry. The topical seems to be more oily than the spray we use on the gear and takes a day or two to dry. Once it dries there is no smell and you'd never know anything was treated, other than the lack of bugs.
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Duluthian
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I also treat all our clothes and gear with permethrin prior to the trip. I also bring a thermacell, burnable mosquito coils, picaridin bug spray and the good old deet bug spray. It's my girlfriends first trip and I've heard its a really bad spring for bugs so I am doing my best to make sure we will be as bug free as possible.
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Jaywalker
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Yes, I've used Rapel which is one of the lemon eucalyptus products for a couple years. I agree with AlanGage; its works pretty well for mosquitos and flies, but not for as long as deet. The black flies were pretty bad on my last trip, and after spraying they would land and take off without biting him. Deer flies will still swarm and buzz annoyingly so I'll try those patches this year. Sometimes I'll spray a small towel and cover him with that instead of spraying all of him.
I don't know anything about using vinegar, and I don't know if Rapel does anything for ticks. I rely on the monthly topicals for ticks.
I won't use deet on either my dog or me. He's a licker big time and will get it in him. I already almost lost him once to a toxin he ingested and won't risk another.
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Duluthian
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Thanks for the replies. I also use a standard tick prevention for my dog (Seresto collar) but I also like to do the water/vinegar solution when hiking and/or in the BWCA as it will deter them from ever crawling onto the dog in the first place. A lot of those tick prevention methods require the tick to bite your dog for the tick prevention to kill the tick. I was thinking that combo'ing the vinegar solution with the lemon eucalyptus spray would be about as good as you can make it for your dog on a bad bug trip.
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Alan Gage
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I've used the "all natural" bug sprays on me and my dog and they seemed to work fine in the short term but found they didn't have the lasting power of something like a standard 30% deet repellent. I generally carry both and use whichever one the situation dictates.
Alan
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Duluthian
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Does anybody use any sort of non-deet bug spray for their dogs? I've heard the mosquitos and flies are really bad this year and I'm heading in on Thursday with my dog. I usually have a water/vinegar solution in spray bottle that I use on both me and the dog that helps with ticks. Does anybody have any experience using lemon eucalyptus spray on their dogs? I'm wondering if it's beneficial to spray both (water/vinegar and lemon eucalyptus) or just one?
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Goldenbadger
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I'm sorry I don't have any great advice. But I want to follow this as I would like to hear everyone's answers.
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davep785
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Duluthian: "I also treat all our clothes and gear with permethrin prior to the trip. I also bring a thermacell, burnable mosquito coils, picaridin bug spray and the good old deet bug spray. It's my girlfriends first trip and I've heard its a really bad spring for bugs so I am doing my best to make sure we will be as bug free as possible."
I treat a bandanna with permethrin and tie it around my dog's neck to help ward off the bugs.
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