Ticks - YUCK!

Permethrin Fact Sheet: Did you know?

What is permethrin?
It is a stable (synthetic) form of an insecticidal compound produced by the chrysanthemum flower.
It is commonly used to treat lice (Nix 1% shampoo) and scabies infections (5% cream).
It biodegrades quickly in contact with soil and water.
It is odorless and will not stain clothing.

How well does it work?
It has been used as a clothing treatment to prevent bites from ticks, flies, and mosquitoes since the 1970s, and used by the military since the 1990s.
It provides a quick tick knock-down effect – both repels and kills.
A URI study found that people wearing permethrin-treated sneakers and socks were 73.6 times less likely to have a tick bite than those wearing untreated footwear.
Each at-home treatment lasts for roughly 3-4 weeks (with washing!).
Commercially-treated clothes can last up to 70 washes.

Should I be concerned about using this chemical?
Permethrin is over 2,250 times more toxic to ticks than humans.
Put directly on the skin, typically less than 1% of active ingredient is absorbed into the body; DEET can be absorbed at over 20 times that rate.
Exposure risk of permethrin-treated clothing to toddlers is 27 times below the EPA's Level of Concern (LOC).
A 140-pound person would have no adverse health effects if exposed to 32 grams of permethrin/day. There is less than 1 gram of permethrin in an entire bottle of clothing treatment.
Permethrin is pregnancy category B (showing no evidence of harm to fertility or fetus).