Why You Should Spray Your Shoes With Permethrin This Summer

If you’re grossed out by the idea that you might be bitten by a tick this summer (chances are good, to be honest), now is the time to get yourself a bottle of permethrin spray. Permethrin-treating your shoes is one of the simplest ways to set up a barrier between hungry ticks and your delicious, blood-filled flesh.

Ticks need to spend time in dirt or leaf litter to avoid drying out, so they hang out close to the ground. They find us by climbing a stalk of grass and reaching out with their little legs when we walk by. (They do the same for deer, rabbits, and other creatures they consider tasty.) Once they find a warm body, they crawl upwards.

Continue reading to learn more about using permethrin, written by Beth Skwarecki.

Senior Health Editor

Beth Skwarecki

Beth Skwarecki is Lifehacker’s Senior Health Editor and has been writing about health, fitness, and science here since 2015. Beth was the recipient of the 2017 Carnegie Science Award in science communication, and has written two books: Outbreak! 50 Tales of Epidemics That Terrorized the World (2016) and Genetics 101: From Chromosomes and the Double Helix to Cloning and DNA Tests, Everything You Need to Know About Genes (2018). She has a bachelor’s degree in biology, has worked as a bioinformatics analyst, and has taught college-level courses in biology, environmental science, and nutrition.

Beth is also certified as a personal trainer and coach, with qualifications as an ACE-CPT, IKO kettlebell instructor, and USA Weightlifting Level 2 coach. She has competed in powerlifting, weightlifting, strongwoman, kettlebell sport, grip sport, and odd lift competitions (USAWA). Olympic weightlifting is her current focus. Her best front squat is 101 kilograms, and the lift she’s most proud of is a 510 pound Dinnie deadlift. Beth has also run races ranging from a 2K to a marathon. Beth has a 100% win rate in Wordle and lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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