Why We Love Sawyer Permethrin Premium Insect Repellent

Permethrin is effective, too. People who wore permethrin-treated sneakers and socks were nearly 74 times less likely to get a tick bite than those who wore untreated footwear, according to one study.

I take the hint from that study and concentrate on the feet because it’s impractical to treat the entire summer wardrobes of the six people in my immediate family. All summer long, I soak my family’s shoes in the Sawyer permethrin spray every month or so (if someone has a favorite pair of shorts, I do those too). The task takes only a few minutes, but once it’s done, I am confident that I’ve put up a solid barrier where it counts the most. For the legs and upper body, we rely on Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent.

Before I understood the joys of permethrin, I used just regular bug spray. But the problem was that I was protected only when I remembered to spray myself down, and even then, the spray was often quick and incomplete. And don’t get me started on how hard it is to properly apply repellent on young kids. Permethrin is like the wall around the castle: It’s always there offering protection and doesn’t need much maintenance at all.

A 24-ounce bottle of Sawyer permethrin spray, which treats five complete outfits, is $15. I have no issues with the cost. And honestly, even if the price were three times that, I’d still think it was worth the investment. Ticks are active whenever the temperature is above freezing, not just in the spring and summer months as most people think. After having gone through the aches and malaise of Lyme disease multiple times—not to mention a brutal 30-day course of antibiotics—paying less than $20 for protection is totally worth it.