Has anyone had any experience with "Bug Band"? It appears to be another method of resisting bugs of all kinds, but does it really do what it claims? Is it safe for kids? I hate smearing or spraying a body down with chemicals that smell worse than the bug bites only to find out, according to news reports, that something is going to fall off in the future because chemical xyz was used too much, in the wrong places, etc. There has got to be a better way!


ONE DAY CLOSER

Found them here. If you are concerned about chemical exposure, you can wear them on your belt, over your clothes or on your pack. I have not tried them, but come next spring, I probably will.

You can also buy insect repelent clothing, garanteed for 25 washes or so. Example

My sister in law uses them all the time for her kids on the family camping trips, she loves them. I'm not sure if there is a direct correlation between the nice big red welts on her youngest daughters arms and legs but I spent a good portion of that trip applying after bite lotion to her arms & legs. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

Adam

Hi,

Bugs have always seemed to find me tasty. Once when I picked up DH near a misquito infested river, he didn't have a single bite, but I got 16 bites even though I stayed in the car most of the time.

I have experimented with every remedy that I could find at Walmart. I have tried a couple of different types of bands that you put on your wrists or ankles to no success. I found all of them to be pretty useless. I haven't found anything to be nearly as effective as bug spray. However, the effectiveness of spray is also limited to the body parts that are actually sprayed. I don't like bug spray on my face, and every now and then I get a bite there.

Overall, I am really lazy when it comes to bug bites and deterence. I find that whether I get bit is more a function of the weather, environment, and chance than anything else. Since I'm too lazy to put on a full application of bug spray each and every time I venture outside, I take a wait and see attitude. If the bugs are bad and I want to stay outside, I go get bug spray. If the bugs are bad but I don't plan on staying out much longer, I grit my teeth and bear it. In either case, I make sure that I have quick access to stingez as soon as I get inside.

I take the same wait-and-see approach with my toddler daughter. I figure that this way, we get out the door faster, and I am also limiting her exposure to the chemicals by not spraying her every time.

I keep a small bottle of Deep Woods Off in my car for emergencies. I keep a bottle of StingEz in my EDC, and several other bottles stashed around the car and house.

I also think that different sprays and after-the-fact remedies work differently for different body chemistries. I find that stingez works well for me; however, my daughter prefers afterbite.

-Kuovonne

*sigh* As a chemist I always get depressed when I see someone afraids of chemicals, especially one that has been extensively studied as DEET. The effects of DEET have been studied for 40+ years and trust me, the naturally occuring chemicals in broccoli are much more toxic!

Around here the danger of West Nile Virus is far greater than any risks from DEET.

DEET factsheet:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dvbid/westnile/resources/deetgen.pdf

-Blast (who is now donning his flameproof suit)

No flame, Blast, but a question.

I seem to "smell better" when I wear DEET. Do you know of any research that makes sense of that? I get bit a LOT more when I wear DEET than when when I don't.

The real kicker is that I find that the heavy duty GREEN BAN repels everything but black flies. My solution for them is just to avoid them. Although they did avoid my pipe when I smoked.

My biggest problem with the Bug Band was that I couldn't hear them unless I sat in the front row.

Ironraven,

As for getting bit more after putting on bug spray, I can think of several possible reasons:

1. Do you have a certian set of "outdoors" clothes that you usually wear in conjunction with bugspray? Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors.

2. Are you doing more strenous activities when coated in bugspray? Mosquitoes are attracted to darbon dioxide and water vapor, two things we put off in abundence, especially when working.

3. Perhaps the solvents that carry the bug spray allow your own chemical attractants to vaporize off your body easier producing an extra-heavy signal to the mosquitoes.

Hmmm, time to get some grad students involved. :-)

-Blast

I get bit no matter what I'm wearing. Light colors, dark colors, no difference for me. As for the activity, if I'm working hard, they seem to bug me less than when I'm just puttering in the garden or something.

So you think it is my biochemistry and the carrier, and not the DEET? Great.

That is one of the funniest things I have heard in a long time! Maybe I am tired, but thanks for a good laugh!! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />