BCB, I'm responding a bit late to your post. Don't have to worry about ticks much now until spring. The product you are looking for, has permethrin as the active ingredient. You don't spray this stuff on your skin. Its made for only spraying your clothing. You spray your clothing, then let it dry. This is not a repellent, it kills ticks when they contact your treated clothing. I have been using this product for a number of years now, and it works. I also tape my pant legs to my boots, or tuck pant legs into boots. This stops them from getting to places where the sun don't shine. Another reason its a good idea to spray your clothing is because you undress in your house, and any ticks in or on your clothing are going to be looking for dinner.
Ticks do not go into hibernation in the winter. They just become dormant when its cold, and will become active if you get somewhat of a warm spell.
Lyme disease is something you never want to get. There is so much that is still unknown about it, and most doctors don't know anything about it. If fact I have educated my general doctor about it who has been practicing medicine for many years. After dealing with lyme, and chronic lyme for the last fifteen years I'm actually kind of terrified of deer ticks. I have even quit spring gobbler hunting, because in the spring ticks hatch, and in their nymph stage they are as tiny as a pencil dot. What you generally do hunting turkey is you sit on the ground up against a tree. Its just to easy for a tick to get somewhere you ain't going to see it.
Don't ever be ho- hum when it comes to deer ticks, they are dangerous, and can carry other disease besides lyme. If anyone ever encounters a rash of problems, and no doctor knows whats wrong with you after you had a bunch of tests done. Tell them you want tested for lyme.
Its not the tick you see attached on you, and you have it removed, then get antibiotics, that causes problems. Its the one you never see. Just an indication of where ticks can get. I worked with a guy that lived in the Dubois area, and his son had a tick attached inside the end of his (censored word). Ticks love moist warm areas, and those are the areas on your body that you generally can't see very well. So the best bet is to stop them from getting to those places. Don't ever think you will feel every tick bite. They have a numbing agent in their saliva, to numb the area they are jamming their head in.
Directions come with this product. It says the 24oz bottle is enough to treat four sets of clothing, but I get about three sets worth. Thats boots, pants, and jacket. I want to make sure its coated well. I never wash my clothes then not treat them again, even though it says you can do that. If I wash them I treat them again.
http://www.rei.com/product/768970/sawyer-permethrin-pump-spray-24-oz
