Insect Shield Clothing

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Insect Shield® FAQs

With anything this innovative, you're going to have questions.
And we have answers.

•What is Insect Shield® and how does it work?
Insect Shield Insect Repellent Apparel is a revolutionary new product that combines Permethrin, a man-made form of a natural insect repellent found in the Chrysanthemum plant, with a new patent pending process. Insect Shield apparel is the smart way to protect against annoying insects including those that can carry West Nile virus and other diseases.


•How much protection is provided by Insect Shield apparel?
In most cases, wearing a short sleeve Insect Shield shirt with Insect Shield shorts and socks will provide good protection. In heavily infested areas, you can get increased protection by wearing a long sleeve shirt and pants.


•How do you care for the product?
Insect Shield apparel provides effective protection from insects through 25 washings. The garments should be machine-washed separately using standard laundry detergent. The garments can be ironed, starched, or pressed without any adverse effects. Do not dry clean because this removes the active ingredient.


•Is it EPA-Registered?
Following many years of extensive product testing, Insect Shield apparel has been successfully registered by the Environmental Protection Agency-the EPA. In addition, unlike traditional insect repellents, Insect Shield apparel has the benefit of being near your skin instead of on your skin.


•How does Insect Shield apparel protect you and your family?
US health professionals are concerned about a growing number of insect borne diseases such as West Nile virus, Lyme disease, Encephalitis, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, and Malaria. Insect Shield garments help prevent bites from potentially disease carrying ticks and mosquitoes. And, also protect against other annoying insects such as ants, flies, chiggers, and midges or no-see-ums.


•What about other forms of insect protection?
Insect Shield apparel is the best solution for personal insect protection. Many products which must be applied to the skin have historically raised concerns particularly if misused or overused. Others are not durable or effective. Electric insect "zappers" are estimated to kill billions of beneficial insects annually, but few mosquitoes.


•The Environment?
Insect Shield garments provide personal insect protection which has less environmental impact than widespread fogging or spraying of neighborhoods and is preferable to traditional insect repellents, which can wash off in the shower or stream, or sprays that might risk contaminating the atmosphere.


•Does the product have an odor?
No. Insect Shield protection is odorless, colorless and does not change the feel of the garment.


•How is the product placed onto the clothing?
The active ingredient is tightly bonded to the garment during the patent-pending Insect Shield process. Unlike traditional insect repellents, Insect Shield apparel puts the repellent on the clothes you wear, not on your skin.


•Why can't the product be dry-cleaned?
The reason to avoid dry cleaning is that dry cleaning removes the active ingredient which reduces the insect repellent quality of the apparel.


•Can the product be exported? To all countries?
Efforts are underway to develop registrations in other countries, each of which has different regulatory requirements. In the future, we look forward to having the ability to export Insect Shield apparel to many countries.


•Which insects will it repel?
Insect Shield garments repel Mosquitoes, Ticks, Ants, Flies, Chiggers, and Midges or no-see-ums. This repellent effect has been proven through extensive testing and research. The EPA requires extensive effectiveness data to prove the product's ability to repel these insects. Many species and varieties of ticks, mosquitoes, flies, etc., have been tested.


•Can the Insect Shield active ingredient come off onto other clothes in the washing machine?
Although the active ingredient is tightly bound to the fibers of the fabric, small amounts can come off in the wash, such as those attached to tiny fiber fragments or dye particles. Therefore, wash Insect Shield garments separately. Read and follow the label instructions on the garment.