Bob from Tallahassee Florida United States writes
I bought Permethrin SFR and have been using it to treat my outdoor work clothes. You have stated elsewhere that this product is not labeled for use on clothing, but I see products on Amazon (such as Sawyers) that use permethrin for this purpose so I wondered if the SFR designation relates to the use. Also you state that permethrin is not listed for chiggers but that is the main reason I am treating my clothing and was under the impression that it is effective against chiggers.
Permethrin SFR is a different formulation than the products that are labeled for use on clothing and it should not be used to treat clothing under any circumstances. Permethrin SFR is not labeled for chiggers which is why we do not recommend it for chiggers. Manufacturers do a lot of research and testing before they are allowed to add an insect to their label. In this case the manufacturer may have felt that the product was not effective enough on chiggers to add the insect to the label or that chiggers were not a significant enough of a pest to do the research and testing on so didn't even try to add it to the label. SFR stands for Surfactant for Richard. Apparently Richard was one of the staff members who helped formulate the product and the suffix stuck.
Answer last updated on: 02/23/2012
