Just wanted to share this. I think I saw it on here before but Ive found a really good skeeter repellent. I does stink , but it would be great for 3D, stumping and squirrel hunts. I cover exposed areas and around my ankles and lower legs.

Its Absorbine JR. It seems to really repel anything that bites.

You may have to re-apply occasionally. But since it helps with muscle and joint pain...who cares. Try it out, see how it works for u.

I put deet on my boots and hat. But I put a natural spray on my skin. Supports a good cause too!

https://thistlefarms.org/products/bug-free-insect-repellent

100% deet for me, when I need it.

Permethrin-treated pants and shirt, deet on exposed areas. And I still pulled two ticks off this morning!

THERMACELL!!! Not for the ticks, but for skeeters nothing's better. No stink and it won't take the finish off your bow.

I use a round basket back quiver for 3-D shoots and my Thermacell straps right around the quiver. I literally forget it's there.....until a pad runs out!

Thermacell.

Thermacell.

"But since it helps with muscle and joint pain...who cares." IMHO, Ibuprophen goes where the Absorbine can't, without the stink.

Thermacell, for those that fly, and pemethrin on the pants, for the crawlers. Deet on the hat, if I don't use the thermacell.

Haven't seen any ticks since the heat started, not even on the dogs, as is typical. Skeeters are brutal this year tho. I don't utilize much more than clothing and flailing physical and verbal assault techniques on them however. Try to be as 'organic' as I can... No chems. Cept on the dogs, they get Seresto.

Unfortunately flailing away won't help prevent you from contracting West Nile virus from a bite. There's already been a confirmed case reported in the next county over from where I live.

well ticks are not an issue, talking on the western UP now,,,, skeeters, I use a thermacell, but I trout fish a lot, and the most brutal bug, is the horse fly,,,,,,,, man they are bad this year,,,,,,,,,

I wear a fly jacket, light and you do not know its on,,,, made in Canada, by sport chief

absorbine jr does work,,,,, ibuprohen, no thanks, I will save my stomach liner, use only under extreme injury, and that's it

been doing a lot of work out of doors. Clearing and burning brush. Trimming trees etc. The bugs are horrible. Deer flies,horse flies, and skeeters eat you up. Takes them all of a milla-second to locate you.

Tried the absorbine as test and really was happy with the results

I worry about deet and permathine side affects. But if you knew me you night not notice the difference:)

Only reason I remotely like the desert heat, no skeeters, no ticks 99% of the time. But we do travel and both our kids live back East now, Pa., NC. so I like reading about ways to beat the bugs.

The absorbine Jr works good for those pesky flies as well

ABSORBINE JR CAN KILL YOU!!! I remember this story from a few years back and I immediately cut down on my usage of the stuff (I was using it regularly..the strong Chinese versions)

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/10/nyregion/10cream.html

Sorry to shout, but wanted to get your attention. Methyl Salicylate is what is in Ben Gay, Absorbine, Icy Hot etc... If you read the labels you will notice warnings about how often you reapply or how many days in a row you can use it, or 'consult a physician' etc...

One particular thing to know is that if you take a hot shower (which you would do if you were very sore) it opens up your pores. Then if you were to put on A LOT of this stuff, it goes into your bloodstream pretty quickly.

Anyway...you probably won't die. But just know that you can overdo it.

They don't sting this time of year ole Dan! :)

Danny, I had a yellow jacket nest in the basement and they were going in and out via a crack under the door sill at my front porch. We went in and out of that door all summer with them going in and out of their door. Never had one issue with them and never got aggressive with them. After winter came I sealed the entry way and that was that.

They did keep the salesmen from coming to our front porch. One guy said, "you have a bunch of yellow jackets by your front door"...as he stood in the yard. I told him they were pets and my "watch bees" so he had to deal with them if he wanted to show us any of his wares. He just left and I never saw him again. Kinda grew attached to those bees after that.

:-) :-) :-)

George! You sealed the yellow jackets inside. The nest is still there. Puff sevin dust inside their entrance hole at night. they will get into it on the way out the next morning and carry it back into their nest when they come in. Kills the whole nest. Yellow jackets stung my black lab about 80 or 90 times. That cost $500 to save him.

"ABSORBINE JR CAN KILL YOU!!! " I guess anything in excess can kill you. Ive heard stories of people drinking too much water and dying:(

I should be safe , as I don't use in excess (I think) Thanks JSD, its a fair warning.

I remember as a kid dad having horse liniment in the medicine cabinet that he used on sore muscles (that stuff burnt)

Im guessing that wasn't intended for for human usage:(

Ok check this stuff out Greenways Organic bug repellent. I think I got it on QVC when I did. Came as a 3 pac with little spray bottle and medium and then big bottle refill.

They have a web site look it up its natural ingredients and safe as can be.

I also used this stuff I got again all organic was ST Jose bows daughter once they were selling at a shoot. It worked pretty good in QB on them skeeters.

The little bottle can fit nice in your pocket or pack its a sprayer.

No one dies of even the toxic bug sprays! Do you know anyone that did? We used to run in the fog of the skeeter sprayer and I don't know of any deaths. Even got sprayed with agent orange and nothing happened all fake news that gets told by left wingers BS artists!

Most times poisonous things can make yu sick but kill you? Your body is stronger than that usually to ward off death.

Just some thoughts try this other stuff out and look it up.

Boxcall, turn on the grill!!! Fire creates carbon = organic, outta jellow jackets.. :)

I use this when out hiking and trail running. Have not used it hunting yet, but going to try and see what happens. It takes a bit to get it off, but biting horsefly will hover around you and mosqutios but will not bite you. Bite blocker

One good band of bug juice we use when spring bear hunting in Quebec is made by Watkins great stuff.However I also use a couple of thermacells hanging from a tree branch bd

I like natrapel for applying to skin in the warmer months. Permithrin when hunting on clothes.

Skeets, that was five years ago. We live with all kinds of critters out here in the rural Pa. I usually have white faced hornets under the eaves...wasps inside the chicken house roof, yellow jackets, bumble bees, and myriad snakes and amphibians. Oh...forgot bats and spiders. It's nature.

Permethrin sprayed on clothes (soaked and hung to dry) for Spring and Summer especially for ticks. Hunting: thermacell definitely and we use a mixture with 100% Cedar tree oil (2 parts water : 1 part oil). Where I hunt mostly has a lot of cedar trees and this spray mixture doesn't seem to affect deer coming in. Has been great for mosquitos. And we hunt hogs in the swamp with skeeters big enough to tote you off. Rarely get bit......so far. And ticks are horrible at 3D shoots. Luckily I've only had 2 in 2 years. Marsha

Can you imagine using Absorbine Jr and hunting near a GMO corn field?? A DEATH SENTENCE!!!

And George.....can I rent some of those yellow jackets??

You can have them yellow jackets, George. And I have 10 acres of woods with a stream and 3/4 mile behind that of more woods and then I-94. Same animals as you except no poisonous snakes. Box Call- check out "Diatomaceous (sp?) earth". I have to look up weather it works on yellow jackets.

That won't work. I just just checked domyownpestcontrol.com . It's only for crawling insects

I stepped on a yellow jacket nest yesterday evening while my grandson was swimming at our beach and got stung twice on both legs. Still a little pain this morning. Got stung about eight times while deer hunting years ago. Stepped on an old rusty can half buried in an old road bed. Even if you run, they follow you. Run into the wind!

So do the thermacells really work? Which one should we get? Thanks

Crow, yes, as you can tell from above experiences, Thermacells work. I am not familiar with various kinds other than the regular portable one and the lantern style for camping/picnicking. I wouldn't be without mine (and a back up just in case one should break)on my Florida hog hunts. Also used it on my Maine bear hunts.

To kill wasps and yellow jackets or garden bugs I use soapy detergent water (strong dishwater) Using a pump up sprayer it will kill everyone on the nest. Also good to kill carpenter bees, just spray in their hole.

Thermocells work.

Yes they do. Mine will be strapped around my back quiver this Sunday at a 3D shoot as it's definitely skeeter time here in northern Illinois. It's a "don't leave home without it" item for sure.

I've been meaning to pick up some Absorbine JR for my shoulders anyway. I'll give it a try sir misalots, thank you.

I've never tried a Thermacell. When I first heard about them I thought they were probably just another scam, but everybody seems to like them. I'll have to try one one of these days.

They actually work AS ADVERTISED, and maybe even a little bit better than advertised. They pay for themselves by the time you'd have bought a half dozen cans of DEET spray, they don't take the finish off things you touch, they do NOT require the use of a battery or a microchip (a BIG plus is my book!), even a Luddite like me can operate one without breaking it, and best of all......THEY WORK!

Use to make my own when I lived in Orlando out of the American beauty berry... It's worked great!

Use to make my own when I lived in Orlando out of the American beauty berry... It's worked great!

Was told to leave the thermal cell home when bear hunting, blackies have a negative response with it other than that it is permethrin all through the hunting season; have had ticks crawling at -5.

I can't speak to black flies and such, but it DOES work on mosquitoes.

Thanks Woods Walker. I assumed that they took batteries, now they sound even better.

jjs, I didn't know that. By mid September when our bear season opens, the flies aren't usually much of an issue, but I'll keep that in mind. Thank you.

Nope. Just butane cartridges. Put a pad in, light it and forget about it. When the pad runs out the bugs will let you know. So simple even I can do it!

My grandfather used to make his own. I remember asking, but I don't remember what was in it now. It was black and thick, and smelled nasty, but it worked on blackflies, mosquitoes, deer flies and punkies. Everything in it was probably a carcinogen, but back then nobody knew about things like that. When you put it on, it stuck with you. The stuff was almost impossible to get off.

Crown Royal in your Veins and Arteries works for me.

Thermacell

Thanks again Woods Walker.

Regarding the thermacell, it is the best invention ever. The first couple of times I hunted Spring bear north of the border, I swore I would never go back. Had complete bug suit, taped wrists and pant legs, gloves, complete face mask over a bucket hat and still got drilled. Since I began using the thermacell, I turn it on, walk to the stand with a headnet only. After about 10 minutes or so I can take the headnet off and bugs never bother me at all till the little blue pad runs out. I have heard from some before that bear did not like thermacells but I cannot agree to that. I have taken several bear at under 20 yards with one and it never bothered them at all.

I've arrowed like 14 or 15 using thermacell bd

When hunting I strap a thermacell to my treestand. Out fishing, I strap it to the pedestal of my bass boat seat. They definitely work. As to bear hunting, if they smell the thermacell, then they are downwind and will smell you too.

MP

Thermocells do work and I am a BIG fan of them. However, like most things, they are not perfect for every occasion. They need to run for a few minutes to build a "shield" around you, so if the mosquitos are really bad, you can get eaten on pretty good before they go away. They are also less effective in a breeze, although mosquitos bother me less in a breeze anyway, so not that big of a deal. IMO, Thermocells are least effective while walking. They are probably fine for true still hunting (more still than walking), but in bad mosquito conditions, thermocells haven't helped me much walking to my stand.

Concerning sprays, Bullfrog brand (I think that is right) is a natural type pump spray that works pretty good. It is one of the only brands I have ever seen that works somewhat on no-see-ums. I can't take the smell though. It makes me cough and wheeze and such.

I think the old standard DEET repellants work the best for the sprays, but they feel nasty, and can mar the finish on your bow, truck, etc.. Also, when they are bad, mosquitos will find that one little dime sized spot where you missed with the spray.

As for 100% deet, when the air is filled with skeeters i'm happy i have it on me. The little mothers will light but not bite. The smell doesn't bother me. Beats rubbing pine tar all over you. lol

When I bought my Thermacell I gave it the acid test that evening. It was August and a summer that had so many mosquitos that at dark they would literally carry you away.

At dusk I fired it up, let it sit for a few minutes, and then while wearing shorts and a tee shirt I went out and sat spraddle legged in the grass with the Thermacell between them. Immediately a literal CLOUD of mosquitos formed above me and then STOPPED a few feet above my head. ONE landed on my knee, and then immediately flew off without biting me.

SOLD!!!!

Be careful with that 100% DEET stuff. It's not meant for contact with skin. I sprayed 40% DEET on my legs one time and it burned. My legs looked and felt like I had a bad sun burn. 100% can't be good for you.

I asked an entomologist what strength DEET works best and his response was to get as close to 50% as possible and not go over because the extra is a waste. I usually do well with 40% when I use it. I also use a Thermocell.

We did a field league at our range in West of Chicago and the mosquitos were terrible. I used premathryn on my clothes and I carried a Thermocell. They were so bad, they did not land on my but they would be at there hovering. I brought along a bug zapper, the tennis racquet type, and would sweep it around me a few times and then draw my bow. I also swept it around while I was walking just to lower the numbers. We would walk up to the bale and there would be at least 15 flying around, they even cancelled league one evening since they were so bad. Have fun out there.

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