Maine Hunters Should Have This Before Going Into the Woods

MaineLyme, a nonprofit who wants to educate you on the prevention of Lyme disease, posted this photo on Facebook, which caught my attention.

When you are out in the woods you are at risk for coming across ticks, which means you are vulnerable to contracting Lyme Disease.  You can find ticks on branches and brush waiting for something to pass by to hitch a ride on.  You can also find ticks underneath decomposing leaves on the forest floor.

With this in mind hunters heading out to the woods now, need to be sure to protect themselves.

According to the National Pesticide Information Center's website, ticks are no match for an insecticide called permethrin, which is used to repel and kill insects including ticks:

Permethrin can affect insects if they eat it or touch it. Permethrin affects the nervous system in insects, causing muscle spasms, paralysis and death.

According to Hunter-Ed.com, an online hunting education blog, permethrin is odorless and does not affect the hunting process, stating, "Permethrin does not have an odor, so it doesn’t alert game animals to your presence."

The chemical is specifically used to put on your clothes and can even last several washings on the articles of clothing applied to.  There are also garments available with permethrin built in.

Don't get bit by those pesky ticks, this hunting season.  Protect yourself with permethrin!