Mosquito Repellent Bracelets: Do They Work?

When it comes to Mother Nature’s biggest pests, most people will try just about anything to avoid them. From bug sprays and mosquito coils to insect nets and garlic, if we had a way to magically eradicate every single buzzy bloodsucker on the planet, you could bet your bottom dollar that we’d do it. 

Considered the world’s most dangerous animal, mosquitoes don’t just suck our blood, leaving nothing behind but a massive red welt that can sometimes itch for days. Even worse, these winged beasts also carry and transmit life-threatening diseases, contributing to more than one million deaths worldwide. 

Needless to say, keeping the little vampires at bay is of the utmost importance — especially for our little ones. You see, as parents, most of us have pretty good self-control when it comes to scratching a bug bite. Kiddos, on the other hand, simply can’t handle the itch day or night. 

What’s more, some tiny tots have an especially bad time. Some of us have allergic reactions to mosquito saliva, leading to the formation of a super painful boo-boo. When this happens, it’s really not too uncommon for a child to develop a fear of going outside — just to avoid getting bitten.

How Do We Fight Back?

Thankfully, when it comes to repelling the little trouble makers, parents these days have a lot of options. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are all good options. 

Take mosquito coils, for example — according to a recent study, burning just one of these popular products is equivalent to burning 75 to 137 cigarettes. Shocking, isn’t it?

And we’re sure you’ve heard of the popular ingredient commonly found in bug spray known as DEET, right? Well, believe it or not, the harsh chemical has recently been linked to a long list of icky side effects, from everything to commas and seizures. As a result, calls about DEET are frequently made to Poison Control (4,000 calls in 2013, to be precise).

If you’re looking for an all-natural approach to keep your favorite mini human itch-free, then you’re in luck. Read on to find out what you need to safely and effectively repel the disease-carrying insects.

But, before we jump into that, let’s first chat a little bit about one of the newest products on the market: mosquito repellent bracelets.

Hold Up — A Bracelet To Repel Mosquitoes? 

Yep, you read that right. Next to bug sprays, coils, and insect nets at your local convenience store, mosquito bracelets are beginning to make an appearance. But what are they?

Simply put, a mosquito repellent bracelet is a wristband that — you guessed it — repels hungry skeeters. They are super easy to use and don’t involve spraying sticky chemicals all over your body. Just like your smartwatch, these mosquito repellent bracelets are worn on your wrist like a normal accessory. 

And the best part? When you head inside, you can just take the bracelet off — aka, there’s no need to hose yourself down in the shower to free your skin from the harsh chemicals commonly found in sticky, smelly bug spray. 

But How Do They Work?

We know what you’re thinking: if mosquito repellent bracelets are chemical-free, how the heck do they effectively repel biting insects?

To understand how these brilliant bracelets work, it’s first important to understand how hungry skeeters track down their victims. 

Believe it or not, mosquitoes have been around for more than 400 million years, giving them quite a bit of time to evolve into the bloodthirsty pests we all know (and despise) today. That being said, over the years, mosquitoes have perfected the art of hunting and can easily track down prey that is over 30 feet away.

How do they do this, you ask? Because they have many senses dedicated to doing nothing more than finding their next blood meal. 

You see, when we breathe, we exhale a gas called carbon dioxide. And just like a pie cooling on a windowsill, this gas emits a delicious scent that can quickly be detected by mosquitoes. 

Once this bug is hot on your CO2 trail, it will use its powerful sensors to detect body heat to zero in on your flesh. From there, it’s game over: the little blood thief will land on your skin, help itself to a meal, and fly away. 

So, in a nutshell, hungry mosquitoes track humans down by following the scent we emit when we breathe. With that in mind, the way mosquito repellent bracelets work is by masking that oh-so-alluring scent.

When the little suckers can’t smell us, it makes it much harder for them to find us. And when they can’t find us, they can’t bite us.  

They Sound Great — But Are They Effective?

As in the case for many questions in life… It's complicated. 

For starters, mosquito repellent bracelets aren’t very powerful, so if you’re in the great outdoors, chances are it won’t mask your mosquito-lovin’ aroma as much as you’d like. However, if you’re in a small enclosed area where the bracelet’s scent can fill the room, it can be pretty effective. 

In addition, mosquito repellent bracelets don’t last very long. So if you plan on using this method as a way to keep the icky skeeters at bay, it might be a good idea to purchase more than one. 

The last thing we want to touch on is using a mosquito repellent bracelet to protect your kids from these petite terrors. While we certainly love the fact that these bracelets are typically non-toxic and chemical-free, it’s not uncommon to put one on your curious tot’s wrist only to find it removed a little later.

Young children don’t understand that these bracelets are placed on their wrists to combat itchy bug bites — so they take them off. 

What’s more, as every parent knows, kids love putting everything and anything right into their mouths. Mosquito repellent bracelets might be infused with all-natural ingredients, but that doesn’t mean they are safe for consumption. 

So, what’s a parent to do?

Introducing BuzzPatch — The All Natural Way To Keep Mosquitoes Away

Rather than putting an easy-to-remove bracelet on your little one’s wrist, place one of our all-natural mosquito repellent stickers directly onto their clothes — or backpack, hat, stroller, tent, or chair! Made with your kids in mind, BuzzPatch is super easy to use, fun, and convenient. 

No more sticky bug spray made from harsh chemicals and skin irritants; with our one-of-a-kind plant-based patches, your kiddo can play outside — itch-free. Designed using non-woven fabric patches powered by a powerful combination of kid-safe essential oils, BuzzPatch works by emitting a particular scent that makes kids virtually undetectable to hungry pests. 

And unlike stinky insect repellents, our all-natural patches smell absolutely delightful. 

Perfect for kids of all ages, check out our non-toxic and DEET-free mosquito repellent patches today — the natural way to tell mosquitoes to buzz off. 

Sources:

How Mosquitoes Use Human Sweat To Find And Bite Us: Shots | Health News.

Where Did Mosquitoes Originate and How Did They Evolve? | MosquitoControl.net

Is DEET Bad for You (and Your Kids)? | Health Cleveland.

Mosquito coil emissions and health implications | NCBI