Where's that info come from?
Here's a link to the Risk Characterization Document from California EPA:
http://www.cdpr.ca.gov/docs/risk/rcd/permet_s3.pdf
from webMD, which recommends it:
Best Insect Repellent For Mosquitoes
"Here's another safe bet: Insect repellents intended for use on clothing -- not on skin -- can provide long-lasting protection when you're wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks. Repel Permanone, which contains permethrin, kills bugs on contact, the report states.In the Consumer Reports' study, the insect repellent Repel Permanone kept all mosquitoes from biting for 24 hours; protection gradually diminished over two weeks."
http://www.ct.gov/caes/lib/caes/documents/publications/fact_sheets/tickbiteprevention05.pdf
TICK BITE PREVENTION THE USE OF INSECT REPELLENTS, Kirby C. Stafford III, PhD (Revised June 2005)
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Permethrin:
Repellents containing permethrin are for use only on clothing or other fabrics such as mosquito netting or tents. A synthetic pyrethroid insecticide rather than a traditional repellent, permethrin works primarily by killing ticks on contact with the clothes, although it also has some repellency. It can provide very high levels of protection against ticks (and chiggers and mosquitoes). Several products contain 0.5% permethrin (e.g.,Duranon Tick Repellent, Repel Permanone,Cutter Outdoorsman Gear Guard, Sawyer Clothing Tick Repellent, 3M Clothing and Gear Insect Repellent, No Stinkin’Ticks). Products are formulated as an aerosol spray or pump with a concentration of 0.5% and distributed mainly in lawnand garden centers or sports and camping stores. It will provide at least 2 weeks of protection with one treatment of the clothing as the spray will bind to the fabric and last through several washings. The clothing should be laundered before retreating. For proper application, the products are applied per label directions to clothing in a well-ventilated outdoor area and allowed to dry for 2 hours (4 hours with high humidity).
Follow precautions on the label. Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling.
Permethrin has low mammalian toxicity, is poorly absorbed through the skin and is rapidly inactivated by the body. Skin reactions have been uncommon. Nevertheless, avoid contact with face, eyes or skin. For additional protection against mosquitoes and ticks, these products may be used in conjunction with an insect repellent labeled for use on skin.
PROTECTION FROM INSECTS | Health Services
CLOTHING REPELLENT: Permethrin is a repellent which is actually a pesticide. It kills insects which come in contact with it. It adheres tightly to fabric and will last through multiple washings and is non-staining and nearly odorless. It is effective against mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and other insects. It is resistant to light, heat, and immersion in water, and is biodegradable. Permethrin is not hazardous to humans. Skin absorption is extremely low. Using Permethrin is easy: clothing can be sprayed (Duranon, Permanone aerosol spray, Permanone Tick Repellent) until slightly damp, then hung to dry. It lasts about six weeks, even after several launderings. Clothing soaked in Permethrin solution (Permakill 4-week Tick Killer) will afford even longer protection.
SIDE EFFECTS OF DEET are not common. It is absorbed through the skin. Some new formulations with an added polymer apparently decrease this absorption quite significantly, thereby making it last longer (Ultrathon, HourGuard) also. It can cause itching, swelling, stinging, and blistering. Toxic reactions may occur in children, including neurological side effects such as seizures. These are very rare events. To minimize the possibility of reactions to DEET, use low concentrations on children, and wear clothing which reduces skin surfaces requiring the repellent. Permethrin is toxic to insects, but not to humans, and adverse systemic effects have not been reported in the medical literature.
DEET in high concentrations over a day in the woods make my skin "crawl" or have nerve twitch, and I'm the kind of guy that asks a lot from his body without giving much in return or noticing distractions like cuts, bruises, or abrasions. DEET is hard on my gear, and will melt plastic like glasses and other lenses. I find that there are times that I must wear it, but I was surprised that most times wearing Permanone would work so well that I didn't have to have a face or hand repellent. If they land on my Permanone treated clothes, they don't bite, and they never make it to my face. They die. It is MUCH more effective on ticks than DEET since the mortality rate is 100%. Chiggers too.
With West Nile, Encephalitis, Lyme Disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, or the rest of tick-borne diseases and parasites, it makes sense to kill them before that happens.
