How Long Do They Last ?
Microencapsulated permethrin is only released through the action of the friction of movement. Fabric testing has shown no degradation after five years on undisturbed samples. Lymeez products' length of effectiveness varies based on individual wear and washing. The repellent effectively remains through 50 washes.
Gaiters are not a forever product, but offer long-lasting effective protection. Since repellent longevity is correlated with wear, it really is individual. Recreational and or seasonal users should get multiple years of use. The life of the product correlates with the visual wear and tear of use. (See sidebar.)
Much less expensive than sprays
It is impossible for backyard-applied repellent sprays to achieve the thoroughness of coverage found on Lymeez Tick 3D Mesh tick gaiters. Lymeez are put through a chemical bath of the microencapsulated permethrin mixed
Microencapsulated Permethrin on Fibers
with a binder where the mixture adheres to every fiber of the product. In contrast, a spray must be applied outdoors (with no wind) and is sprayed by hand on one surface with great variation. This is one reason that sprays only last 40 days. The EPA strictly regulates the percentage of permethrin (0.52% by weight) that can be applied to garments intended for human wear. All sprays will contain 0.52% permethrin—and no more. (Microencapsules cannot be sprayed.) When the microencapsulated permethrin is applied to Lymeez, the garments are carefully weighed to allow the maximum application of the allowed weight.
Measuring Longevity in the Case of a Single User
We got a call one day from a user who wore his Lymeez Tick Gaiters for work wanting to know when we thought he should replace them. His work started mid-May and ended October 31. He worked six days a week, eight hours a day. He wore his Lymeez all day, every day—he knew exactly how long he had worn them—approximately 1144 hours. 
We offered replaced his pair for free if he would send the old pair to us. His worn pair was valuable to us. We could calculate the amount of permethrin remaining after a known hours of usage. We sent the pair off to Pulcra Chemicals, the manufacturer of the Lymeez microencapsulated permethrin.Pulcra determined that the pair had 60% of its permethrin remaining. The WHO and the US Army (who applies micro-encapsulated to its Battle Dress Uniforms) consider the efficacy standard to be 80% permethrin remaining. This is a single case of a user who was fairly rough on his Lymeez Tick Gaiters. Longevity is a function of use. Everyone’s wear pattern will be different. Nevertheless, this user’s experience sheds a bit of light on the question we’re often asked, “How long do they last?”