I am planning a trip starting June 24th through Sawbill and I've been hearing gloomy predictions about the bug conditions. I'm just wondering what some opinions are about the effectiveness of having either permethrin, a thermacell, both, or neither? And if neither then what other things people have found effective? Also anybody who has just returned from the Sawbill/Cherokee lakes area what have you experienced firsthand?

I've had excellent results with Permethrin spray and soak. So good I hardly use a skin repellent. Still take a few Deet towelettes for exposed skin when the biters get bad.

butthead

I would also add a head net into your arsenal. They are a cheap refuge from the black flies/gnats.

I haven't used a Thermacell so can't comment there, but we are headed up to the same area and are doing permethrin and headnets as our primary defense and a small bottle of deet for back up.

I am also going to give the Absorbine Jr. trick a try. It is supposed to repel black flies/gnats and if it works then the head nets may be redundant but I won't chance it by leaving them home.

i cant see thermacells working well in anything but a dead calm. if im wrong, please correct me.

I've had very good luck with Permethrin.

quote luft: "I am also going to give the Absorbine Jr. trick a try."

ill be packing that myself.

Spent 4 days in BWCA the last week. Treated our clothes with Premethrin days before leaving. 0 ticks No real mosquito problems until I was back in the parking lot and changed into my travel clothes. They nearly carried me away in those last 2 minutes.

Awesome, sounds like Permethrin in conjunction with head nets is the way we'll be going then, thanks everyone!

I strongly recommend permethrin. Had excellent results with it.

I have a thermocell and I like it a lot. We use it on the porch at the cabin. The thing is that it's more for putting in one place, and you need to replace the fuel and pads from time to time. I have taken it to the BW and set it by the fire area, but since we already had permethrin on our clothes it was redundant. Treat your clothes with pemethrin and you'r good for the whole trip wherever you

quote bzastrow7: "Awesome, sounds like Permethrin in conjunction with head nets is the way we'll be going then, thanks everyone!"

Yup, IMO, that the way to go. Hope you have a great and enjoyable trip!

quote kanoes: "i cant see thermacells working well in anything but a dead calm. if im wrong, please correct me."

I have heard people rave about them. I have no idea where they camp. Thermacells don't work for me. On the Liard, the mosquitoes sat on the thing..and it was on.

quote kanoes: "i cant see thermacells working well in anything but a dead calm. if im wrong, please correct me."

I've brought a couple of them on past BWCA trips and I've come to the same conclusion. On anything but the calmest evenings I don't think they're worth the hassle.

We put a thermacell back at the "biffer", worked great.
CB

I took a thermacell two years ago and it mostly sat in a dry pack taking up room. We tried it when we were canoeing close to dark for walleye and skeeters came out and it didn't seem to work. We also tried near the fire and couldn't determine if it was working or the skeeters weren't bad that night. I also couldn't convince myself that it worked when there was any wind. I heard they are awesome but I just couldn't convince myself that they worked. Will probably be keeping it at home when I go up July 26th.